Test code links throughout this Guide refer to the corresponding test in the User's Guide. PCR products are analyzed by visual inspection in agarose gels after electrophoresis and appropriate staining. Varicella generally occurs in children and is characterized by fever and a generalized exanthem.
Herpes zoster is characterized by vesicular lesions and inflammation of the sensory nerve ganglia.
Zoster usually occurs in adults and is the result of reactivated latent infection. In the immunocompromised host, such as those with AIDS, malignancy, or organ transplants, VZV infections can have life-threatening consequences. Disseminated infection, pneumonitis, hepatitis, and meningoencephalitis can occur in immunosuppressed children or adults. The serologic assessment of varicella-zoster is useful in diagnosing clinical infections with varicella or zoster and in identifying hospitalized children with varicella. However, this determination is more commonly used to assess the immune status of individuals exposed to varicella.