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To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Savona and colleagues¹ reported on the detection of vaccinia virus DNA in blood and oropharyngeal specimens by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. We believe that to put their results into context, results of other studies must also be considered.

Two similar studies^2-3 conducted at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2004 used 3 methods to detect vaccinia virus: PCR,⁴ electrochemiluminescence, and viral culture. The first study² included 220 blood samples from 28 participants. The second study³ tested oropharyngeal swabs in 801 samples from 144 participants. All samples in each study were negative. Contributing to the discordance between Savona et al and the Walter Reed studies are the primers used, the sampling time points, the amount of plasma from which the DNA was extracted for PCR, and the additional testing conducted on the Walter Reed specimens.

Given the small sample sizes of all . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Mary M. Klote, MD
mary.klote@us.army.mil

Renata J. M. Engler, MD; Bryan L. Martin, DO
Allergy Immunology Department
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, DC

James F. Cummings, MD
Department of Immunology
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Washington, DC

Glenn W. Wortmann, MD
Infectious Disease Service
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, DC

George V. Ludwig, PhD
US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Washington, DC