title: [Genetic characterization of varicella zoster virus in Jilin province in 2014, China].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the genotype of wild-type strains of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in Jilin province in 2014, and to discriminate between v-Oka vaccine strains and wild-type strains.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vesicle fluid and throat swab samples were collected from 13 individuals with suspected VZV in Jilin province from January to December 2014. Viral DNA was extracted, the fragments of 15 open reading fragments (ORFs) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and viral genotypes were determined by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was used to distinguish between wild-type strains and v-Oka vaccine strains. The results were analyzed with MEGA5 software, using the VZV reference strain sequences from GenBank.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 13 suspected samples included 5 males and 8 females, aged 11-27 years (mean: (16.69±5.48) years). Sampling was performed on days 0 to 3 of suspected infection. VZV strains were detected in 8 samples, all belonging to Clade 2. There was a synonymous mutation (T>C) in SNP18082 compared with the v-Oka vaccine strain. Analysis of PCR-RFLPs showed that all 8 positive samples were wild-type strains (PstⅠ(+)BglⅠ(+)SmaⅠ(-)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study revealed that the VZV strains circulating in Jilin province in 2014 were wild-type strains belonging to Clade 2.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Q H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of measles, Jilin Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changchun 130062, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006562:Herpes Zoster; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012984:Software; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D004279:DNA, Viral