A rapid and simplified micromethod for subtyping varicella-zoster virus.

A simplified and rapid micromethod based on restriction endonuclease analysis of radiolabelled varicella-zoster virus (VZV) DNA is described and applied to strains for comparison. This procedure is cheaper and less time consuming than that requiring viral nucleocapsid purification (macromethod). The micromethod is suitable for routine DNA analysis of VZV isolates, allows differentiation of vaccine strain from wild strains, and provides evidence for variability of wild strains.