[Genotypic diversity of the varicella-zoster virus (Herpesviridae: Varicellovirus) and human gene variants as risk factors for severe disease].

Severe disease progression, including secondary bacterial infections and sepsis, can occur both during initial infection with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and its reactivation in the form of herpes zoster. This remains a fairly common problem. However, in most cases, the disease proceeds without complications. In Russia and abroad, varicella is among the most common infectious causes of central nervous system involvement. The most frequent serious complications are skin lesions and associated bacterial infections. The exact causes of these conditions are still not fully understood. Therefore, there is ongoing debate about the possible role of certain viral clades or genetic polymorphisms in patients. This review describes inter-clade differences among viral genotypes, their origins, ability to recombine, clinical cases of infection caused by representatives of different clades, data on their circulation, mechanisms of immune evasion and human candidate genes potentially associated with VZV-related complications. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, CyberLeninka, and the eLIBRARY.