Recent Advances in Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection

1 June 1999 | Volume 130 Issue 11 | Pages 922-932

Varicella-zoster virus has developed a complex strategy that allows it to remain latent in the body and avoid destruction by the immune system. Although varicella and zoster have been recognized since antiquity, several new clinical syndromes—including chronic chickenpox with persistent verrucous lesions and disseminated varicella without skin lesions—have been noted in patients with AIDS. Acyclovir has been the mainstay for treating severe varicella-zoster virus infections; however, newer antiviral agents, including valacyclovir and famciclovir, have expanded therapeutic options for treating adults with herpes zoster. The recently licensed live attenuated vaccine for varicella-zoster virus is effective in preventing chickenpox, and the vaccine's ability to stimulate immunity in seropositive adults suggests a promising strategy with which to modify the course of herpes zoster.

Author and Article Information

An edited summary of a Clinical Staff Conference held on 27 May 1998 at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

Authors who wish to cite a section of the conference and specifically indicate its author may use this example for the form of the reference:

Brunell PA. Transmission, clinical features, and diagnosis of varicella and zoster, pp 924-926. In: Cohen JI, moderator. Recent advances in varicella-zoster virus infection. Ann Intern Med. 1999:130:922-932.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by Dr. Krause in this article are his own; no official endorsement by the FDA is implied or should be inferred.

Acknowledgment: The authors thank Nancy Shulman for editorial assistance.

Requests for Reprints: Jeffrey I. Cohen, MD, Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 11N-228, Bethesda, MD 20892-1888.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Cohen, Brunell, and Straus: Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 11N-228, Bethesda, MD 20892-1888.

Dr. Krause: Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD 20892.