Simultaneous treatment of cytomegalovirus and varicella zoster infections in a renal transplant recipient with ganciclovir: use of viral load to monitor response to treatment.

Disseminated zoster occurring simultaneously with cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in a renal transplant recipient is potentially life threatening. We describe the use of intravenous ganciclovir to treat both infections. The efficacy of treatment was assessed clinically and by the measurement of CMV viral load using the hybrid capture (Murex version 2) and varicella zoster (VZV) viral load using an in-house assay. Results from this case suggest that clinical resolution in severe viral infections such as described below may be related to early control of viraemia.