Propagation of Varicella-Zoster Virus in a Diploid Strain of Embryonic Thyroid Cells from the Rhesus Monkey

Abstract

A strain of rhesus-monkey thyroid cells that maintained its diploid karyotype through at least 20 passages was found to support the growth of varicellazoster (V-Z) virus. V-Z virus was serially propagated in these cultures by passage of infected cells or cell-free virus. Cell-free virus and both complement-fixing and precipitin antigens were prepared from these cultures.