JAMA Clinical Challenge

Fever, Rash, and Shortness of Breath in a Previously Healthy 52-Year-Old ManFever, Rash, and Shortness of Breath in a Previously Healthy 52-Year-Old Man—CaseFever, Rash, and Shortness of Breath in a Previously Healthy 52-Year-Old Man—Diagnosis

JAMA 10.1001/jama.2026.2596

April 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT

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A 52-year-old man had 2 days of cough, dyspnea, and fever. Physical examination showed a rash on the trunk and back with clear vesicles on an erythematous base, imaging showed pulmonary infiltrates, and results of laboratory testing were positive for varicella zoster virus DNA and negative for herpes simplex virus 1 and 2. What is the diagnosis and what would you do next?

Corresponding Author: Paul Bellmann, MD, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria (paul.bellmann@i-med.ac.at).

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