A rapid immunoperoxidase technique to distinguish herpetic types

The United States is experiencing an epidemic of herpetic infections. Rapid specific diagnosis of herpes simplex types and herpes zoster is important epidemiologically and also for individual cases since treatment as well as prognosis for recurrence or dissemination varies with virus type. We report a rapid test for the diagnosis and differentiation of these infections. This test uses scrapings from viral vesicles. It employs standard immunoperoxidase techniques and takes 2 hours to perform at 37C. Smears from 13 patients with clinical and/or culture confirmation of viral type were tested. Eleven of eleven who had fresh smears (vesicles present less than 5 days) had positive staining for the viral type expected clinically. Two patients with vesicles 5 days or older showed nonspecific staining.