title: The molecular epidemiology of varicella-zoster virus: evidence for geographic segregation.
abstract: Of 75 varicella-zoster virus (VZV) isolates obtained from patients in Africa, Asia, and the Far East, 74 (98.6%) were found to be positive for a BglI restriction site in gene 54. By contrast, <22% of strains from patients in the United Kingdom and in North and South America were positive for the BglI restriction site. Viruses positive for BglI were significantly more common in zoster occurring in patients of nonwhite origin (P<.05). Irrespective of the country in which the sample was obtained, 98% of strains positive for BglI clustered within a single phylogenetic group, which we termed "group A"; the exception was 1 strain that appeared to be recombinant genotype C/A. We used the BglI site to examine both the spread of type A viruses in the United Kingdom and the patterns of VZV infections within persons from different ethnic groups who grew up in the United Kingdom or abroad.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Queen Mary College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quinlivan
authors.forename: Khidir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hawrami
authors.forename: Winsome
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Barrett-Muir
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aaby
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arvin
authors.forename: Vincent T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: T Jacob
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matondo
authors.forename: Malik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peiris
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: Marilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Michiaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yamima
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Talukder
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanishi
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leedham-Green
authors.forename: Fiona T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Sara L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Breuer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000235:genetics; D005202:Asia, Eastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D013020:South America / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: C024388:CTGCAG-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C018492:GCCNNNNNGGC-specific type II deoxyribonucleases