DNA mapping of paired varicella-zoster virus isolates from patients with shingles

Abstract

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) was isolated from two separate sites in each of three patients with shingles (herpes zoster). The DNAs of the six VZV isolates were compared by high-resolution restriction endonuclease analysis with HindIII, KpnI, and HpaI. DNA cleavage patterns for each pair of VZV isolates were indistinguishable. These studies suggest that clinical shingles is the manifestation of a single VZV strain that becomes reactivated and causes both a viraemia and a dermatomal exanthem.