Simian Varicella Virus Pathogenesis in Skin during Varicella and Zoster.

ABSTRACT: Primary simian varicella virus (SVV) infection and reactivation in nonhuman primates is a valuable animal model in the study of varicella zoster virus disease [varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (shingles)]. To understand SVV pathogenesis in skin, we inoculated 10 rhesus macaques with SVV, resulting in varicella rash. After the establishment of latency, eight of the monkeys were immunosuppressed using tacrolimus with or without irradiation and prednisone and two monkeys were not immunosuppressed. Zoster rash developed in all immunosuppressed monkeys and in one non-immunosuppressed monkey. Five monkeys had recurrent zoster. During varicella and zoster, SVV DNA in skin scrapings ranged from 50 to 10⁷ copies/100 ng of total DNA and 2-127 copies/100 ng of total DNA, respective

SUBMITTER: Mahalingam R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9227806 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature