Question

Varicella zoster virus remains latent in:

• A. Trigeminal ganglion (dorsal root and cranial sensory ganglia)
• B. T cells
• C. B cells
• D. Macrophages

Hint:

VZV is neurotropic and stays dormant in sensory ganglia like the trigeminal ganglion.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Varicella zoster virus is a member of the herpesvirus family. A defining feature of herpesviruses is lifelong latency in specific host cells after the primary infection.
Step 2: The primary infection with VZV is chickenpox. After it resolves, the virus travels along sensory nerves and becomes dormant in sensory nerve cell bodies, that is in the dorsal root ganglia and cranial sensory ganglia such as the trigeminal ganglion.
Step 3: Reactivation. When immunity wanes, the virus reactivates and spreads down the sensory nerve to the skin, producing herpes zoster (shingles) in a dermatomal pattern. Involvement of the trigeminal ganglion causes ophthalmic zoster.
Step 4: Why the others are wrong. T cells, B cells and macrophages are sites of latency for other viruses. For example, Epstein Barr virus is latent in B lymphocytes and HIV in CD4 T cells and macrophages, but VZV is neurotropic and hides in sensory ganglia, not in these cells.
Conclusion: Varicella zoster virus remains latent in the sensory ganglia, represented by the trigeminal ganglion, option A.