Abstract
Comparison is made of results of immunofluorescent staining and virus isolation for detection of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) from 40 patients with VZV infection. Immunofluorescent staining was positive in 38 out of 40 specimens (95%), while virus isolation was positive in 28 specimens (70%). Immunofluorescent staining of lesion smears is simple and rapid, yielding a higher detection rate. Therefore, it seems to be clinically useful method for virological diagnosis of cutaneous VZV infection.
