The role of sequence analysis of wild-type varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in epidemiological and evolutionary characterization of VZV: focus on epidemiologic situation in Czech Republic
Abstract
Geographic localization, climate and factors of populations have influence on genetic diversity and epidemiology of VZV infections. Studies of genetic diversity of VZV, in turn, play an important role in further understandig of epidemiology and evolution of the virus, and may in future serve as a tool for genetic prediction of virus pathogenicity or resistence development.
We tested the group of 153 clinical specimens. All of them were collected in Czech Republic from 2005 to 2009.
The differenciation of wild-type and vaccine VZV strains was detected using markers in ORF 38, 54 and 62. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in ORF 21, 22 and 50 detected and characterized individual wild type strains.
One specimen from 153 total was negative, 95 cases were varicella, 57 cases were zoster. 71 cases (47 %) were E1 wild-type VZV strains, 81 cases (53 %) were detected as E2 VZV strain. No one was VZV vaccinated.