background and objective: varicella zoster virus (vzv) can cause life-threatening disease in pregnant women. the aim of this study was to identify the vzv immune status in pregnant women and also determine the validity of self-reported history for chickenpox. methods: serologic testing for vzv was performed for 400 pregnant women attending prenatal care at clinics located in two teaching and re...

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is usually associated with mild to moderate illness in immunocompetent patients. However, older age and immune deficiency are the most important risk factors linked with virus reactivation and severe complications. Treatment of VZV infections is based on nucleoside analogues, such as acyclovir (ACV) and its valyl prodrug valacyclovir, penciclovir (PCV) as its prodru...

No consensus exists on whether acyclovir prophylaxis should be given for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) prophylaxis after hematopoietic cell transplantation because of the concern of "rebound" VZV disease after discontinuation of prophylaxis. To determine whether rebound VZV disease is an important clinical problem and whether prolonging prophylaxis beyond 1 year is beneficial, we examined 3 sequ...

This study aimed at establishing baseline key epidemiological parameters for varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in Vojvodina, Serbia, with the ultimate goal to quantify the VZV transmission potential in the population. Seroprevalence data generated during the first large cross-sectional VZV serosurvey were modelled, using a two-tiered modelling approach to calculate age-specific forces of i...

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a neurotropic human alphaherpesvirus that causes varicella upon primary infection, establishes latency in multiple ganglionic neurons, and can reactivate to cause zoster. Live attenuated VZV vaccines are available; however, they can also establish latent infections and reactivate. Studies of VZV latency have been limited to the analyses of human ganglia removed a...

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) latency in sensory and autonomic neurons has remained enigmatic and difficult to study, and experimental reactivation has not yet been achieved. We have previously shown that human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neurons are permissive to a productive and spreading VZV infection. We now demonstrate that hESC-derived neurons can also host a persistent non-producti...

BACKGROUND Although intravenous acyclovir therapy is recommended for varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in immunocompromised children, the clinical characteristics and outcomes of VZV infection in the acyclovir era have rarely been reported. METHODS The medical records of children diagnosed with varicella or herpes zoster virus, who had underlying hematologic malignancies, were retrospect...

Virologic analysis of tissues from a patient with giant cell arteritis (GCA) who was treated with corticosteroids and died of extensive necrotizing granulomatous arteritis revealed widespread varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antigen in multiple large arteries. Long-term treatment with corticosteroids likely potentiated VZV infection. In 1997, a clinicopathologic case report described a 75-year-old ...

AIM The aim of this report was to present a case of varicella zoster virus (VZV)-associated anterior uveitis, which developed in an adult who was seronegative for anti-VZV antibodies. CASE PRESENTATION A 66-year-old male patient was referred to the National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa City, Japan with iridocyclitis in his right eye. On examination, intraocular pressure was 30 mmHg in ...