Perfusion culture with microcarriers was conducted to produce cell-associated and cell-free Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) with human embryonic lung cells. After the cells were infected with VZV infected cells, glucose in the medium decreased rapidly, suggesting that VZV propagation was related closely to the use of glucose. While the yield of cell-associated VZV in microcarriers was 9,350 PFU/cm(2), almost two-thirds of that in T-80 flask and cell factory, the yield of cell-free VZV in microcarriers was only about 10% of that in T-80 flask and cell factory.