Because of the severe complications that may result from varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection following renal transplantation (Tx), transplanted varicella-susceptible children exposed to varicella are typically given varicella zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG) as prophylaxis or are admitted and treated with parenteral acyclovir if VZIG prophylaxis fails. As both VZIG and hospitalization are costly...

background: varicella zoster virus (vzv) causes chickenpox in children and zoster (zona) in the elderly. using rflp-pcr method for detection of vzv specific snps orf38, 54 and 62 could  distinguish the profile of vzv isolates. the aim of this study was to investigate enzymatic digestion pattern of vzv orf38 and orf54 in chickenpox patients using rflp technique. methods: thirty-eight chickenpox ...

this study aimed to investigate the frequency of varicella zoster virus (vzv) in benign and malignant breast tumors. a total of 24 carcinomas and 24 fibroadenomas paraffin embedded tumoral tissue samples were obtained from the pathology sections of toos and firoozgar hospitals in tehran, iran. all samples were collected from patients from june 2011 to february 2012. dna was extracted from all s...

Colleagues—Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) has been recognized as one of the most frequent viral opportunistic infections in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The classic presentation of VZV infection in patients with AIDS is a multidermatomal zoster with or without dissemination. Persistent VZV infections with atypical cutaneous lesions have been recognized with incre...

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a highly contagious human pathogen. Virus causes varicella (chickenpox) as a primary infection during which a lifelong latent infection is established. It is easily passed through airborne particles, droplets in exhaled air and fluids from blisters or sores. Virus can be also transmitted indirectly by a contact with articles of clothing and other items exposed to...

BACKGROUND A patient with AIDS who developed the clinical picture of bilateral progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN) in combination with varicella zoster encephalitis is described. The picture developed more than 2 years after an episode of ophthalmic zoster infection, and following intermittent exposure to oral acyclovir because of recurrent episodes of cutaneous herpes simplex infection. ...

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) primo-infection can be severe in the elderly and in immunocompromised patients. Atypical presentations are not uncommon and may mislead the diagnosis and delay adequate treatment. Valacyclovir prophylaxis should be systematically proposed in immunocompromised patients.

Herpes zoster (shingles) is caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that has lain dormant in the dorsal root ganglion after primary infection (as chickenpox). It affects the sensory ganglia and their areas of innervation, and is characterised by pain in the distribution of the affected nerve, and crops of clustered vesicles over the area. Pain may occur days before rash onset, or n...

Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (RHS) is a rare complication of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection that can occur in immunocompetent host. It usually involves ipsilateral facial paralysis, ear pain and facial vesicles. Disseminated herpes zoster is another complication of VZV infection typically seen in immunocompromised hosts. We describe a patient with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (C...

We describe clinical and laboratory characteristics of 16 patients with central nervous system (CNS) infection caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and another pathogen. Seven of 10 immunocompromised patients had coinfection with viruses (3 with cytomegalovirus, 2 with JC virus, and 2 with varicella zoster virus) and 3 with nonviral pathogens (2 with pneumococcus and 1 with Cryptococcus species)....