Abstract
Genotyping of wild type of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in Sri Lanka would help to distinguish the VZV wild type infection from varicella vaccine associated infections. PCR-RFLP analysis of VZV ORF 38, 54 and 62 was used for genotyping in VZV from blood or vesicular fluid from 31 patients with chickenpox or herpes zoster. The PstI restriction site of ORF 38, BglI restriction site of ORF 54 and SmaI restriction site of ORF 62 were analyzed using RFLP to determine the genotype. Except for one strain, all other VZV isolates had the genotype characteristic of the wild type VZV strain PstI+BglI+ SmaI-, which was characteristic of the Asian strain. None of the isolates had the American or the European VZV profile (PstI+BglI-) but were similar to isolates from Africa and Asia (PstI+BglI+). Interestingly, one of the VZV strains isolated from a patient with chickenpox had the characteristic genotype of the vaccine strain PstI- BglI+ SmaI+. The genotype of the VZV in Sri Lanka is similar to the Asian VZV genotype and can be easily distinguished from the VZV vaccine strain by using the polymorphisms in ORF 38, ORF 54 and ORF 62.
Highlights
Genotyping of wild type of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in Sri Lanka would help to distinguish the VZV wild type infection from varicella vaccine associated infections
The genotype of the VZV in Sri Lanka is similar to the Asian VZV genotype and can be distinguished from the VZV vaccine strain by using the polymorphisms in open reading frames (ORFs) 38, ORF 54 and ORF 62
In order to characterize the genotype of the wild type VZV strain in Sri Lanka, we analysed 31 VZV isolates from patients with chicken pox or herpes zoster by Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of DNA fragments of open reading frames (ORFs) 38, 54, and 62
Summary
Genotyping of wild type of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in Sri Lanka would help to distinguish the VZV wild type infection from varicella vaccine associated infections. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes chicken pox (varicella) during primary infection, which is usually a benign self-limiting illness in children. It can cause severe disease and even death in adults, neonates, pregnant women and in the immunosuppressed [1]. By analysis of selected SNPs in ORFs 1, 21, 50 and 54, Barrett-Muir et al have identified four genotypes; namely, A (Africa/Asia), B and C (Europe and America) and J (Far East) [4]. Loparev et al have shown that by the analysis of a short region in ORF22, three major genotypes can be distinguished: E (European), J (Japanese), and M (mosaic). The M strains were commonest in Africa, India, China and Central America [5, 6]
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