Herpes simplex virus type 1 in saliva of patients with vestibular neuronitis: a preliminary study.

Objectives: Vestibular neuronitis (VN) is an inflammatory disease of the vestibular nerve, presumably caused by reactivation of the herpes simplex virus type l (HSV-1). We hypothesized that HSV-1 might be detected in saliva of patients with VN due to migration of the reactivated virus from the vestibular ganglia to the parotid gland.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with VN and 15 healthy controls participated.

Alternative immunological markers to document successful multiple smallpox revaccinations.

Background: Successful smallpox vaccination is traditionally defined by clinical response ("take"). Nevertheless, only 60% of subjects in the 2002 Israeli smallpox revaccination campaign developed clinical take. More sensitive immunological markers are needed to document successful revaccination.

Immunosuppressive treatments reduce long-term immunity to smallpox among patients with breast cancer.

Background: Mass vaccination is the principal preventive measure against a smallpox outbreak after an act of bioterrorism. Vaccination of subjects who received immunosuppressive therapies is problematic because of smallpox vaccine reactogenicity. Moreover, long-term immunity to vaccinia might be affected.

Comparison of the dynamics and correlates of transmission of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) and Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) in a sample of the Israeli population.

Herpes simplex virus types-1 (HSV-1) and Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are herpes viruses that share many characteristics. However, HSV-1 spreads by close contact while VZV spreads mainly by the airborne route. In this study we compared the dynamics and correlates of transmission of these viruses in the same population.