DNA sequence analysis of varicella-zoster virus gene 62 from subclinical infections in healthy children immunized with the Oka varicella vaccine

A live attenuated varicella vaccine, the Oka vaccine strain (vOka), is routinely administered to children in Japan and other countries, including the United States. vOka consists of a mixture of genotypically distinct variants, but little is known about the growth potential of each variants in vivo. We isolated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) DNA sequences from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of asymptomatic healthy children immunized with the Oka varicella vaccine. VZV gene 62 DNA fragments were detected in 5 of 166 (3.0%) PBMC samples by nested PCR within 5 weeks of the vaccination. Sequence analysis of VZV DNA from these five PBMC samples indicated that multiple viral clones in the vaccine could infect vaccinees and replicate in vivo. We also provide evidence that a nonsynonymous substitution at position 105356 may affect viral replication in vivo.