Figure 6. A–E. Comparison of clinically relevant viral agents associated with skin lesions. A–C show poxviruses indistinguishable in appearance from variola virus, the agent of smallpox. The slightly rounded, brick-shaped virions measure about 270 by 350 nm. Two types of particles may be seen. M, or Mulberry forms show a 10- to 20-nm diameter short-tubular or beaded surface (M). Capsular, or C forms, partly penetrated by the stain, are recognized by a 30-nm membrane (C): A. Molluscum contagiosum (molluscipoxvirus) virions from skin lesions observed in an adult; B. Vaccinia virus vaccine strain WR (orthopoxvirus) from cell culture; C. Ectromelia virus (orthopoxvirus) from culture material. D. Parapox viruses measure up to190 by 300 nm and are more distinctly ovoid. Tubules, 10 to 20 nm wide and approximately 1,000-nm long, spiral around the virion, giving a distinctive crosshatched appearance. E. Herpesvirus particles from a skin lesion of a primary varicella zoster infection observed in an adult. Direct electron microscopic shows two virions. The envelopes are broken, liberating the 100-nm nucleocapsid. F. Cell culture supernatant from a patient with an infantile respiratory tract infection. The enveloped virions are studded with tiny surface spikes. The 18-nm helical nucleocapsids have been released from disintegrating virions. The nucleocapsids and envelope details are typical of paramyxoviruses. A–B, phosphotungstic acid, C–F, uranyl acetate. All prints at the same magnification, bar = 100 nm.