Varicella-zoster The disease and Panbio product training

Overview Caused by Varicella zoster virus Chicken pox –highly contagious –most commonly affects children Shingles (Herpes zoster) –mainly a disease of adults, esp. elderly –reactivation of virus

Infectious agent & epidemiology Varicella-zoster virus –member of the Herpesvirus group Occurrence –worldwide Reservoir –humans are the only host

Clinical notes Chicken pox symptoms –fever, more severe in adults –skin eruption(abundant of parts of body normally covered) –headache –abdominal pains –most common complications include bacterial infection of skin legions

Clinical notes cont. Shingles –vesicles appear on skin areas supplied by sensory nerves –spread of vesicles is typically unilateral –sever pain and paresthesia is common –elderly may experience neuralgia –immunocompromised persons may be more susceptible –complications include pneumonia, encephalitis & Reyes Syndrome

Clinical notes cont. Mode of Transmission –person to person contact, droplet or airborne spread of respiratory secretions Incubation Period –2 to 3 weeks Treatment –Acyclovir, Vidarabine

Antibody response Specific antibodies detectable by 3rd day of rash IgM antibodies decline to undetectable levels within 2- 3 months Children with immunosuppressive disorders may not produce IgG

Diagnosis Usually made from clinical symptoms Isolation of the virus in cell culture Direct fluorescence antibody (DFA) Indirect Immunofluorescence Complement fixation Neutralisation ELISA –detection of specific IgG and IgM antibodies –considered the most specific with comparable sensitivity to other methods

Panbio VZV ELISAs Varicella Zoster IgGCat # E-VZV01G –100% sensitivity & specificity Varicella Zoster IgMCat # E-VZV01M Ideal for laboratory use 1hr 10min assay time IgG and IgM kits available Indirect ELISA format

Panbio VZV IFA VZV IgG IFA kitCat# I-VZV01G VZV IgM IFA kitCat# I-VZV01M VZV IFA slidesCat# I-VZV01X

Promotional resources Clinical Sheet IgG Technical Sheet Publications –General Overhead transparencies