Electron Microscopy in Differential Diagnosis of Poxvirus Infections

Abstract

Confirmation of the clinical diagnosis in orf infections is often prolonged by the slow growth of the virus in tissue culture. To overcome this difficulty a simple preparative technique has been evolved for the recognition of virus particles in the clinical material within a few hours. Crusts or biopsy specimens are broken up by ultrasonic vibration, the virus is concentrated by centrifugation and examined by electron microscopy with phosphotungstate as a contrast agent. The examination of 20 specimens by this technique in parallel with tissue culture is described. These comprised 17 orf, 2 vaccinia, and 1 wart infection. The results obtained suggest that the technique might be extended to some other viral skin infections to supplement existing methods. © 1964, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.