TRANSMISSION OF VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS FROM A VACCINEE WITH LEUKEMIA,DEMONSTRATED BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

A 5-year-old white boy in remission from ac ute lymphoblastic leukemia who was receiving maintenance anticancer chemotherapy had approximate ly 200 vesicular skin lesions 1 month after receiving live attenuated varicella vaccine. About 2 to 3 weeks later, a mild illness resembling varicella occurred in his susceptible siblings and in three of his cl assmates. Vaccine-type varicella-zoster virus was demonstrated by poly merase chain reaction in swab specimens from vesicular lesions in his two siblings, in whom antibody to varicella-zoster virus also develope d.