The Use of the Electron Microscope in Diagnosis of Variola, Vaccinia, and Varicella

Abstract

In specimens of vesicular fluid and crusts from infectious lesions of the skin (collected and examined under the electron micro-scope) , elementary bodies of the various virus infections were demonstrated by direct examination. Virus particles of variola and vaccinia recovered from human and animal tissue closely resemble each other in their structure and size. They are also indistinguishable from elementary bodies of these viruses derived from the chorio-allantois of the chick embryo. Elementary bodies of varicella, which are uniform in size, resemble morphologically elementary bodies of other pox viruses, but are scantier and smaller than elementary bodies of variola and vaccinia. It is suggested that the electron microscope can be used as a tool in the clinical diagnosis of certain diseases with eruptive cutaneous lesions.