Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Dermatol Sci 2018 Nov 13. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.

Inflamm Bowel Dis 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Section of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Background: Data on the serologic status of childhood vaccines, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), are limited in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, we evaluated vaccine coverage and seroprotection, along with CMV and EBV seropositivity, in pediatric IBD.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, demographic data, IBD history, vaccine records, and serum for antibodies against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, varicella, hepatitis B (HBV), CMV, and EBV were collected from children with IBD. Read More

Transpl Infect Dis 2018 Dec 12:e13038. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.

Herpes zoster encephalitis (HZE) is a rare complication of varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection. We report two cases of HZE in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients and review ten other cases in the literature. In this review, rash was present in 67% of cases. Read More

Clin Imaging 2018 Nov 14;54:53-56. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM 360, Houston, TX 77030, United States.

Fingolimod is an oral medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2009 for the treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Initial clinical trials did not show a significantly increased rate of serious infections with fingolimod therapy. However, a mildly increased risk of less serious infections, such as varicella zoster virus and herpes simplex virus, was reported. Read More

Pharmazie 2018 Dec;73(12):733-736

Propolis is a generic name for a biological substance produced by bees used for multiple purposes in folk medicine. Propolis special extract GH 2002 is crude propolis highly purified by a special procedure and freed from the accompanying substances like pollen, wax, resins. The cytotoxic and antiherpetic effect of propolis extracts against virus (VZV) was analysed in cell culture, and revealed a moderate cytotoxicity on lung fibroblasts with a CC of 380 μg/ml. Read More

AIDS Res Ther 2018 Dec 11;15(1):25. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Infectious Disease Service, San Antonio Military Medical Center, San Antonio, USA.

Background: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) reactivation is common but difficult to predict in HIV-infected persons.

Objective: Since qualitative VZV antibodies can determine past VZV disease or vaccination, we evaluated whether quantitative VZV antibody levels over time can predict future zoster.

Study Design: US Military HIV Natural History (NHS) participants with a zoster diagnosis at least 5 years after HIV diagnosis (n = 100) were included. Read More

J Infect 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia.

Objectives: To examine the impact of Australia's single dose infant varicella vaccination program, we assessed single dose varicella vaccine effectiveness (VE) in preventing hospitalised disease using two methods.

Methods: Clinically confirmed varicella cases from the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) sentinel network were age-matched to 20 controls obtained from the Australian Immunisation Register. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate VE and compared with estimates obtained using our second approach. Read More

J Educ Health Promot 2018 29;7:129. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

Department of Community Medicine, Seth G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Introduction: Immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases in adults is the need of the hour. The student nurses by virtue of training are the frontline health workers dealing with patient care. They are exposed to maximum risk of contracting the diseases. Read More

Inflamm Intest Dis 2018 Nov 17;3(1):1-10. Epub 2018 Jul 17.

Center for Advanced IBD Research and Treatment, Kitasato University Kitasato Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with immunocompromise have a high risk of developing complications related to viral infections. Western countries were the first to formulate vaccine guideline. Asian countries developed their national and international vaccine guidelines a little later in order to reduce the risk of mortality from viral infections. Read More

Indian Dermatol Online J 2018 Nov-Dec;9(6):383-388

Department of Dermatology, Military Hospital, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a viral infection believed to be caused by the re activation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) or human herpes virus type 3 (HHV 3) that persists in the posterior nerve root ganglion. HZ is rarely reported in the pediatric age group with an intact immunity. Past infection with VZV and immunization with chickenpox vaccine are key markers in the onset of varicella zoster in children. Read More

Indian J Plast Surg 2018 May-Aug;51(2):238-242

Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand and Microsurgery, Ganga Medical Centre and Hospitals, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

While brachial plexus palsy sustained due to birth trauma is well known, congenital palsies are decidedly rare. We report such a case caused by congenital varicella syndrome, with associated congenital Horner's syndrome and heterochromia iridis. The surprising juxtaposition of a classic upper plexus palsy and a Horner's syndrome raises points of interest. Read More

Neurol India 2018 Nov-Dec;66(6):1800-1802

Department of Neurology, Indo-American Hospital: Brain and Spine Centre, Vaikom, Kerala, India.

J Clin Virol 2018 Nov 28;110:17-21. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain. Electronic address:

Background: Despite childhood universal VZV immunization was introduced in 2015, there are no data on VZV clade distribution in Spain.

Objectives: To characterize the varicella-zoster virus strains circulating in Spain between 1997 and 2016.

Study Design: In this retrospective study, we determined the VZV clades in 294 patients with different pathologies (mainly encephalitis, zoster and varicella) by sequencing three fragments within ORF 22, ORF 21 and ORF 50 and, subsequently analyzing 7 relevant SNPs. Read More

Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica 2018 Jul-Sep;35(3):533-534

Laboratorio Nacional de Sarampión y Rubeola, Centro de Nacional de Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud. Lima, Perú.

BMC Genomics 2018 Dec 4;19(1):873. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, 6720, Hungary.

Background: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a human pathogenic alphaherpesvirus harboring a relatively large DNA molecule. The VZV transcriptome has already been analyzed by microarray and short-read sequencing analyses. However, both approaches have substantial limitations when used for structural characterization of transcript isoforms, even if supplemented with primer extension or other techniques. Read More

J Clin Invest 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Background: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is under consideration as a promising recombinant viral vector to deliver foreign antigens including HIV. However, new vectors have come under increased scrutiny since vaccination with Ad5-vectored HIV vaccine trials demonstrated increased HIV risk in individuals with pre-immunity to the vector which was thought to be associated with mucosal immune activation (IA). Therefore, defining the impact of VZV vaccination on IA is particularly important with the prospect of developing an HIV/VZV chimeric vaccine. Read More

Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2018 Feb;47(4):374-380

Department of Immunization Program, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Hangzhou 310051, China.

Objective: To evaluate the cost/benefit of different vaccination strategies related to chickenpox vaccine.

Methods: The direct economic cost and indirect economic cost caused by chickenpox were obtained through questionnaire survey. The epidemic characteristics of chickenpox in Zhejiang province were studied by literature review. Read More

Antivir Chem Chemother 2018 Jan-Dec;26:2040206618813050

1 Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.

While noncanonic xanthine nucleotides XMP/dXMP play an important role in balancing and maintaining intracellular purine nucleotide pool as well as in potential mutagenesis, surprisingly, acyclic nucleoside phosphonates bearing a xanthine nucleobase have not been studied so far for their antiviral properties. Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of xanthine-based acyclic nucleoside phosphonates and evaluation of their activity against a wide range of DNA and RNA viruses. Two acyclic nucleoside phosphonates within the series, namely 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]xanthine (PMEX) and 9-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]xanthine (HPMPX), were shown to possess activity against several human herpesviruses. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Varicella vaccination can have complex direct and indirect influences on the epidemiology of herpes zoster among children. We evaluated pediatric herpes zoster trends using administrative databases. Incidence declined in a step-wise pattern since the varicella vaccination program was introduced, suggesting that rates may eventually decline in the entire population. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Historic herpes zoster incidence trends in US adults have been hard to interpret. Using administrative databases, we extended previous descriptions of these trends through 2016. We observed an age-specific transition, with ongoing increases among younger adults but deceleration in older adults. Read More

Retin Cases Brief Rep 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.

Purpose: To report the multimodal imaging findings of immune recovery uveitis mimicking recurrent T-cell lymphoma after autologous bone marrow transplant therapy.

Methods: A 71-year-old man presented with posterior uveitis 6 weeks after chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplant for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. Multimodal imaging included fluorescein angiography, fundus autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

c Sanofi Pasteur MSD , Lyon , France.

This randomized trial conducted in France compared intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) administration of two doses of a measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) combination vaccine (ProQuad®) administered one month apart to 405 children 12-18 months of age (NCT00402831). The 2-dose regimen of MMRV administered IM was shown to be as immunogenic as the 2-dose regimen administered SC for all antigens 6 weeks post-vaccination for the subjects who were initially seronegative for measles, mumps, rubella, or varicella (lower bounds of the two-sided 95% CIs for the difference in response rates for all antigens greater than -10% [range -2.1 for varicella to -3. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

d Sinovac (Dalian) Vaccine Technology Co., Ltd ., Dalian , China.

The study was to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and lot-to-lot consistency of live attenuated varicella vaccine in Chinese population aged 1-3 years. The double-blind, randomized phase III trial was conducted in Henan Province, China. In total, 1197 subjects were included in this study. Read More

J Neurovirol 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Medical Research, Gundersen Health System, Mail Stop C03-006B, 1836 South Avenue, La Crosse, WI, 54601, USA.

A child with vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus refractory to therapy developed zoster-induced protein S deficiency and recurrent strokes. Extensive carotid arteritis was found postmortem. The carotid tissue was positive for herpes varicella zoster by polymerase chain reaction, as were immunofixation stains of the arterial wall. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Jan 23;37(1):76-79. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI, USA.

Background: Febrile seizures are associated with the first dose of measles-containing vaccines and the risk increases with chronologic age during the second year of life. We used the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) to determine if the relative increase in risk of seizures following receipt of measles-containing vaccine differs by gestational age at birth.

Methods: Children were eligible if they received their first dose of measles-containing vaccine at age 12 through 23 months from January 2003 through September 2015. Read More

Comput Biol Chem 2018 Nov 17;78:9-17. Epub 2018 Nov 17.

Department of Physics, Madras Christian College, East Tambaram, Chennai, 600059, Tamilnadu, India.

Valacyclovir is the l-valyl ester prodrug of the antiviral drug acyclovir that exhibits activity against Herpes simplex virus types and varicella zoster virus. An explicit surface analysis on the title compound was carried out theoretically using the wavefunction analyser multiwfn software, inorder to study the reactivity of the compound. The input wavefunction files were generated by Gaussian 09W software using B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) as the basis set. Read More

Brain Behav 2018 Nov 25:e01177. Epub 2018 Nov 25.

Department of Neurology, Hassan II University Teaching Hospital, Fez, Morocco.

Objectives: Histologically defined as an inflammation-degeneration of limbic structures, limbic encephalitis (LE) is a rare disease and often difficult to diagnose particularly in institutions with limited access to laboratory tests such as antineuronal antibodies or HSV-PCR, and functional imaging. We aimed to describe the demographic, clinical, paraclinical, and etiological features of LE, as well as its medium-term prognosis in Moroccan patients.

Materials And Methods: We collected retrospectively all patients diagnosed with LE in the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital Hassan II of Fez (Morocco) between September 2008 and December 2016. Read More

Biosci Trends 2018 ;12(5):523-525

School of Pharmacy, Nihon University.

Based on prescriptions filled at external pharmacies, prescription surveillance (PS) in Japan has been reporting the estimated numbers of influenza and varicella patients and people prescribed certain drugs since 2009. Every morning, this system estimates the numbers of patients from the numbers of prescriptions filled nationwide for neuraminidase inhibitors, anti-herpes virus drugs, antibiotic drugs, antipyretic analgesics, and multi-ingredient cold medications. Moreover, it can detect "unexplained" infectious diseases that are not explained as infectious diseases monitored by other surveillance systems. Read More

Acta Virol 2018 ;62(4):386-393

Viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS) occur sporadically and have been extensively studied because of the potential for permanent neurological damage or death. The neurotropic viruses have been reported to lead to various CNS infections. The objective of the present study is to develop an antigen detection ELISA protocol for detection and quantification of viral antigen in CNS infections by assessing the usefulness of antipeptide antibodies against potential peptides of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), dengue (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV) and Chandipura virus (CHPV). Read More

Clin Microbiol Infect 2018 Nov 22. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Epidemiology, China and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Fudan University), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Objectives: Although administration of a second dose of varicella vaccine (2-dose VarV) to individuals who have previously received one-dose VarV has been recommended as a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) strategy for outbreak control, the effectiveness of this strategy remains unclear. We evaluated the vaccination effectiveness (VE) of 2-dose VarV as PEP among students involved in 129 varicella outbreaks in Shanghai, China from 2013 to 2016.

Methods: Students who had received one-dose VarV more than five years prior to varicella exposure were eligible to receive 2-dose VarV as PEP. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Nov 21;8(1):17192. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Children's Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.

National one-dose varicella vaccination at 12 months of age was implemented in Taiwan since 2004.Our study aimed to evaluate breakthrough varicella (BV) in post-vaccine era and its associated risk factors. We retrospectively identified children vaccinated against varicella between 12-23 months of age during 2004-2008. Read More

J Cutan Med Surg 2018 Nov 21:1203475418811335. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

9 Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Background:: Patients with immune-mediated diseases on immunosuppressive therapies have more infectious episodes than healthy individuals, yet vaccination practices by physicians for this patient population remain suboptimal.

Objectives:: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of vaccines in individuals exposed to immunosuppressive therapies and provide evidence-based clinical practice recommendations.

Methods:: A literature search for vaccination safety and efficacy in patients on immunosuppressive therapies (2009-2017) was conducted. Read More

PLoS One 2018 21;13(11):e0206163. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Faculty of Epidemiology & Population Health, LSHTM, London, United Kingdom.

Background: Herpesviruses induce a range of inflammatory effects potentially contributing to an increased risk of stroke.

Objectives: To investigate whether patients with infection, or reactivation of, human herpesviruses are at increased stroke risk, compared to those without human herpesviruses.

Data Sources: Six medical databases and grey literature sources from inception to January 2017. Read More

Pediatr Infect Dis J 2018 Nov 16. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

We report an 8 year old boy with disseminated, life-threatening, drug treatment-resistant varicella zoster infection occurring during standard treatment for neuroblastoma in whom viral clearance and cure was effected by donor Lymphocyte infusion from his HLA-identical twin sibling. Read More

J Med Syst 2018 Nov 20;43(1). Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Amrita School of Engineering, Bengaluru, India.

This study describes the usage of neural community based on the texture evaluation of pores and skin a variety of similarities in their signs, inclusive of Measles (rubella), German measles (rubella), and Chickenpox etc. In fashionable, these illnesses have similarities in sample of infection and symptoms along with redness and rash. Various skin problems have similar symptoms. Read More

J Microbiol 2018 Nov 19. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Seongnam, 13120, Republic of Korea.

Harringtonine (HT) and homoharringtonine (HHT), alkaloid esters isolated from the genus Cephalotaxus, exhibit antitumor activity. A semisynthetic HHT has been approved for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. In addition to antileukemic activity, HT and HHT are reported to possess potent antiviral activity. Read More

Wiad Lek 2018 ;71(7):1289-1294

Sumy State University, Sumy, Ukraine.

Objective: Introduction: Herpesviruses (HVs) are ubiquitous pathogens that infect humans usually during childhood, followed by a life-long persistence in a latent state in many sites of a body including the nerve cells. After reactivation HVs can affect the Central Nervous System (CNS) becoming a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide as well as long-term neurological sequelae. Despite being an important public health problem very few population-based studies were conducted so far in the world and none in Ukraine. Read More

Headache 2018 Nov 17. Epub 2018 Nov 17.

Department of Neurology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

J Infect Dis 2018 Nov 16. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

School of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, UK.

J Infect Dis 2018 Nov 16. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, NY.

Introduction: Live attenuated zoster vaccine (Zostavax™) was used to test the hypothesis that constitutive IL-10, which may be high in elderly subjects, impairs vaccine efficacy. If true, then effectiveness of viral vaccines might be improved by transient inhibition of IL-10 before vaccination.

Methods: Zostavax™ was given to 26 patients (ages 60-80). Read More

Ocul Immunol Inflamm 2018 Nov 16:1-3. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

b Ophthalmology , University of Rochester David and Ilene Flaum Eye Institute , Rochester , New York , USA.

Purpose: To describe an uncommon presentation of ocular infection caused by human herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2).

Methods: Case report.

Results: A 32-year-old female with no prior history of mucocutaneous herpesvirus infection presented with a minimally painful hypertensive granulomatous panophthalmitis and optic neuropathy that was initially suspected to be orbital cellulitis. Read More

J Neuroinflammation 2018 Nov 15;15(1):318. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 4200 E. 19th Avenue, Mail Stop B182, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.

Background: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a ubiquitous alphaherpesvirus that produces varicella and zoster. VZV can infect multiple cell types in the spinal cord and brain, including astrocytes, producing myelopathy and encephalopathy. While studies of VZV-astrocyte interactions are sparse, a recent report showed that quiescent primary human spinal cord astrocytes (qHA-sps) did not appear activated morphologically during VZV infection. Read More

World J Clin Cases 2018 Nov;6(13):659-665

Department of Emergency, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.

Herein we report a case of acute liver failure (ALF) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) induced by varicella infection, successfully rescued by a combination therapy of acyclovir, supportive care, and immunosuppression with dexamethasone and etoposide. A previously healthy 16-year-old boy presented with generalized rash, fever, severe abdominal pain, and abnormal liver function within 4 d. Chickenpox was suspected, and acyclovir and intravenous immunoglobulin were started on admission. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2018 Nov 14;18(1):563. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, Jiangsu Province, China.

Background: In recent years, outbreaks of varicella have continued to occur, and the coverage rate of varicella vaccine in Jiangsu Province, China, remains unclear. This study aims to analyse the levels of immune antibody against varicella and obtain a comprehensive understanding of the varicella attenuated live vaccine (VarV) coverage rate in children aged 1-9 years in Jiangsu Province.

Methods: From June to October 2016, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect 3631 serum samples from healthy children aged 1-9 years in Jiangsu Province. Read More

Epidemiol Health 2018 Nov 8:e2018054. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Jeju National University School of Medicine, Jeju, Korea.

Objectives: Although the nationwide inoculation rate of varicella vaccine was about 95% in Korean children, the notified numbers of varicella cases are increasing till now, unexpectedly. To suggest some hypotheses about the gap, an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis as descriptive epidemiology study was conducted for children resident in Jeju-do, Republic of Korea (ROK).

Methods: The raw data was the nationwide database for insurance claim of healthcare fee suggested by National Health Insurance Service, ROK. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018 Nov 14. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

a Centro Infant, Department of Pediatrics , School of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) , Porto Alegre , Rio Grande do Sul state , Brazil.

Although varicella is usually a mild and self-limited disease, complications can occur. In 1998, the World Health Organization recommended varicella vaccination for countries where the disease has a significant public health burden. Nonetheless, concerns about a shift in the disease to older groups, an increase in herpes zoster in the elderly and cost-effectiveness led many countries to postpone universal varicella vaccine introduction. Read More

Mult Scler 2018 Nov 14:1352458518807088. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Neurology, Concord Hospital, Concord, NSW, Australia/ Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Background:: Fingolimod is used to reduce relapse rates in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). It is a sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) analogue having antagonistic effects on S1P receptors. Its immunosuppressive effect is due to reduced circulating lymphocyte numbers, and it may also be associated with impaired intrinsic cancer surveillance. Read More

Pediatr Neurol 2018 Oct 9. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.

Acad Emerg Med 2018 Nov 12. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA.

Post-herpetic neuralgia is a painful condition of persistent chronic pain following acute reactivation of varicella zoster virus. The review defines PHN as persisting or recurring pain at the site of shingles at least one month after the onset of the acute rash. The incidence of shingles increases with age, almost doubling in each decade after 50 years of age. Read More