This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Long, G. W. Articles by Lourie, B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Long, G. W. Articles by Lourie, B. Agricola Articles by Long, G. W. Articles by Lourie, B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1970 September; 20(3): 497-504
Copyright © 1970 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Experience with Electron Microscopy in the Differential Diagnosis of Smallpox

National Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30333

ABSTRACT

The usefulness of negative-contrast electron microscopy in the rapid differential diagnosis of poxvirus and herpesvirus exanthems is described in this study of 301 specimens from patients with vesicular exanthematous diseases. Specimens from patients with smallpox, various forms of vaccination complications, varicella, zoster (shingles), and herpes simplex are included in this evaluation. Electron microscopy, when applied to the study of lesion material, was found to be more sensitive than the classical techniques of virus isolation in the diagnosis of both poxvirus and herpes/varicella virus infections. However, since specific identification of a virus within a group cannot be made morphologically by electron microscopy, it is recommended that both electron microscopy and virus isolation methods be employed for the routine differential diagnosis of vesicular exanthematous diseases in the reference diagnostic laboratory.

¹ Present address: Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, N.M. 87106.

² Present address: Middlesex County Hospital, Waltham, Mass. 02154.