Infectious Disease

Herpes zoster, or shingles, is a viral infection that results in vesicular lesions on skin, which are typically limited to one side of the body following one body dermatome (Dunphy, Winland-Brown, Porter, & Thomas, 2015). Herpes zoster is caused by reactivation of the chickenpox, or varicella-zoster virus. Once an individual is exposed to this virus, it can remain in the dormant or latent phase for decades. The virus attaches to the dorsal root ganglia and typically recurs when the body is in a weakened state. It is estimated that as much as 10-20% of the world's population will experience

If you have had chickenpox during your childhood, it is sure that the virus has stayed in your system for numerous of years. But the virus has then been reactivated in later life, and that’s what causes the skin disease called “Shingles,” to develop. As well as chickenpox, there are other diseases which weakens our immune system. For example, HIV and/or AIDS can also cause Shingles to develop. Shingles is not considered a life threatening virus, but can become quite painful. Shingles is an extraordinarily painful condition that involves inflammation of sensory nerves.

There are different kind of people who have the most vulnerable to shingles disease. The first kind of people who can get the Shingles are people that got chickenpox disease. For example children that got chickenpox maybe they get also shingles when they get older. The second kind is the people who direct connect with the rash because the virus cannot be transmitted to the people by the air. However, Herpes zoster is very common, especially in older people such as people between 50 to 60 years old.

Varicella (chicken pox) and Herpes Zoster (shingles) are pathologies that in a sense go hand in hand; you can't contract shingles until you have had Chicken pox. Anyone who has had chicken pox is not guarantee to get shingles but is at risk as shingles is a painful localized recurrence of the skin rash, it could reactivate or remain dormant.

Finally, there is a vaccine that has been shown to reduce the number of cases of shingles in patients over the age of 60 known as Zostavax. This is a one-time vaccine used to actually prevent the disease. It is given subcutaneously in a patient’s arm. It is important to educate the patient that even though it is a proven immunization for fighting shingles, Medicare Part B (the patient’s medical coverage) does not cover the vaccine. The patient may have Part D coverage (prescription coverage) that will cover the vaccine, however, it must be given at a pharmacy, not a physician’s office or clinic setting. This is confusing for the patient, causing some of them to forego the vaccine altogether. Some patients believe that once they have had the shingles they do not need to get the vaccine. However, this is untrue. As this is a virus that stays within the body even after an outbreak, the best way of preventing further outbreaks is with the immunization. If a patient presents with active skin lesions, the vaccine literature advises waiting until resolution of these lesions prior to receiving the vaccine. As our children have an immunization schedule, it is now becoming practice that our aging adults also have an immunization schedule. This schedule now includes pneumovax (pneumonia vaccine), influenza vaccine, TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis)

Shingles is a virial infection that causes a band or strip like rash to appear on the skin that looks like a cluster of blisters in a small area that is painful also called herpes zoster. When it appears it can affect either side of the torso and the face near the eye which can cause serious permanent damage to your vision. This rash can last about 2 to 4 of weeks, when the healing process begins it forms

This article addresses Shingles also known as herpes zoster which originates from the virus that also causes chicken pox. The burden of this disease is that it causes severe pain and rash with a blistering. According to this article there is an increased risk of a stroke or heart attack within the first week of your diagnosis.

I will then explain that there are some things they can do to keep infections at bay. Not touching the sores will help keep them clean. It will be hard at first to not scratch when they are having the itching sensations but it is important to touch the area as little as possible to keep any infectious agents out of the area. Not touching will keep it clean and keep the pain down as much as possible. They need to make sure they wash their hands any time they touch the areas because they can spread the virus. They need to stay away from people who have not had the chicken pox or the vaccine. People who are immune suppressed and the unborn child of a pregnant women. This virus can be life threating to all of these people.

Shingles, otherwise known as herpes zoster, is a painful skin rash that occurs on one side of the face or body. The risk of getting shingles increases with age. Shingles vaccines, which are recommended for those 50 and older, can prevent the painful disease.

Prior to reading the article I had an idea of what shingles was, and heard some information regarding the epidemic of shingles, but never knew exactly what it was. While reading the article I discovered that shingles is a viral infection caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, which is actually the same virus that produces chickenpox that produces a painful skin rash within the host. Since shingles is a part of the herpes family it usually appears as a strip of blisters anywhere on the body.

Herpes Zosters also known as shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that that causes us to get chickenpox. . Anyone who has ever had chickenpox in their youth years, are most likely to get shingles in their elder years. Once a person has chickenpox, the virus is still in the person body. It “sleeps” in certain nerves in your body and once you get older the virus will reactivate and become herpes zoster. Every 1 in 3 people will get shingles at the age 60 and older. About 1 million people in the U.S are affected by this virus. Having a low immune system can give the virus a chance to attack the victim. If the victim has a medical condition such as having leukemia, and lymphoma, having HIV, or even taking medication

Shingles Questions and Answers raquo , raquo , raquo Shingles Treatment See all photos Shingles and Nerve Damage Question My husband had shingles at the age of years old he now has , which was made better by a local healer from the village. He has been suffering from pains on the lower left hand side, under his rib cage for the past six years approximately exactly the same place he had shingles as a boy . These pains spread from the mid back to almost the belly button. We live in the south west of France and have been to see many specialists, eliminating one possible problem at a time we started with a full stomach, intestine check up, blood tests and x rays of internal organs everything is in good working order. After that he had two infiltrations, injections used to calm the pain, on the top

Shingles are more likely to show up in adults who have had the chickenpox in their childhood. The shingles are caused by a viral infection known as the varicella-zoster virus. This virus is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses (herpes zoster). Although shingles is part of this group, it is not the same in that it is not a virus that is responsible for sexually transmitted diseases. Shingles can be very painful and cause many types of infections, but it is not life-threatening and it is treatable.

Chicken Pox is a virus caused by varicella-zoster, a member of the herpes family. This same virus also is a cause of herpes zoster other known as shingles in adults. Chicken pox is very contagious and can easily spread to people. Chicken pox is acquired by coming into contact with the fluid of a chicken pox blister, or airborne by an infected person sneezing near you. The blister-like rash usually lasts five to ten days. The incubation period lasts 10-21 days and a person with chickenpox becomes contagious one to two days before their blisters appear. The person with chicken pox remains contagious until all the blisters have crusted

My interest in Infectious disease began even before entering residency half way across the world in the unique country of Nepal. Nepal is rich in natural beauty with breath taking landscapes, diverse culture but is also one of the most impoverished. I had the privilege to witness first hand how the dedicated physicians living there do the most with less in one of the most remotest parts of Nepal. Majority of the cases were infectious in nature with differentials including organisms not as prevalent in the US: tuberculosis, typhoid, dengue, malaria, brucellosis and leptospirosis to name a few. What the physicians lacked in resources, they made up their close attention to detail in both the history and the thoroughness of their physical exam. My interest further developed during my residency years where I had the pleasure of working with seasoned infectious disease attendings and was exposed to an array of pathology… even seeing a handful of extremely rare