Mutations in Coding and Non-Coding Regions in Varicella-Zoster Virus Causing Fatal Hemorrhagic Fever Without Rash in an Immunocompetent Patient: Case Report.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

We report the case of a fatal hemorrhagic varicella primary infection in an immunocompetent man and whole-genome characterization of the virus for the investigation of biomarkers of virulence.

Case

A 38-year-old patient born in Nigeria presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and subsequently developed fatal hemorrhagic disease without skin rash. Extensive laboratory tests including serology and PCR for arenaviruses, bunyaviruses and ebolaviruses were negative. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) PCR of sera, liver and spleen tissue samples from autopsy revealed the presence of VZV DNA. Primary infection by varicella-zoster virus with hemorrhagic manifestations was diagnosed after virological testing. The VZV genome was sequenced using a mWGS approach.

SUBMITTER: Camacho J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10651560 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature