Читать книгу Principles of Virology, Volume 2 - Jane Flint, S. Jane Flint - Страница 103

Many viruses reproduce in the skin, and the lesions that form from such infections contain virions that can be transmitted to other hosts. In these cases, the virus is usually transmitted by direct body contact. For example, herpes simplex virus causes a common rash in wrestlers, known as herpes gladiatorum or “mat herpes” (Fig. 2.22). Certain poxviruses and papillomaviruses that cause warts may also be transmitted by direct, skin-to-skin contact.

Varicella-zoster virus, the agent of chicken pox, is released from the skin in a particularly effective manner. The lesions that form during an acute chicken pox infection are small, lymph-filled blisters that erupt, leaving a crusty scab. Virus concentrations in this fluid are high. Despite the avail ability of an effective vaccine, acute infections still occur in unvaccinated individuals. Alarmingly, some parents have elected to allow their children to become infected by encouraging close exposure to acutely infected peers (Box 2.13).