Detection of varicella‐zoster virus by dot‐blot hybridization using a molecularly cloned viral DNA probe

Varicella‐Zoster Virus (VZV) infection can be definitively diagnosed by isolation of virus in cell culture, a process that usually takes 7–14 days. In order to facilitate the more rapid detection of this virus, we developed a technique for hybridization of DNA from clinical specimens using an in vitro‐labeled mixture of cloned fragments of VZV DNA as a probe. The assay can be completed in 36–48 hr and can be successfully carried out in the range of 10 pg to 10 ng of viral DNA. In analyses of 38 specimens from patients with a clinical diagnosis of VZV infection, the results of viral isolation and this assay were highly concordant. The sensitivity of standard cell culture for detection of VZV was 58%, whereas the sensitivity of the assay was 76%, not significantly different (P = 0.14). The specificity of cell culture was 100%, whereas that of the assay was 94% (P = 0.49). The technique appears to be sensitive, specific, and useful for analyses of tissues and body fluids.