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Contagious Shingles
Every year an estimated one million Americans are afflicted with the virus herpes zoster. Herpes zoster is a painful viral infection and is more widely known as shingles. Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus. Shingles can develop in anyone who has ever had chicken pox.
It’s believed that more than 1 of every 10 people who have had chicken pox as children will develop shingles as adults. This type of shingles infection usually occurs in individuals over the age of 60. Once a person has had chicken pox, the chicken pox virus remains dormant or in an inactive state in nerve root cells of the body.
In some people, the virus "reactivates" within the nervous system to cause shingles. Shingles may include a blistering rash and severe burning pain, tingling or extreme sensitivity to the skin, and is most commonly reported to effect one side of the body and lasts about a month.
Varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox, causes shingles. This virus is in the herpes family. Shingles is also called herpes zoster.
An outbreak of shingles does not indicate a new infection; rather, it is a second outbreak of the chicken pox virus. Some of the virus germs that cause chicken pox remain in the body and remain in a dormant stage in the nerve cells near the spine for many years. Then the herpes zoster virus, for any number of reasons will suddenly emerge from the dormant state and grow. Once active, the virus travels along the nerve paths to the skin surface, leaving a path of destruction along the nerves they travel. The result is the pain and rash of shingles.
Anyone who has ever had chicken pox can get shingles. That means almost anyone over the age of 5 could be susceptible to getting shingles. A vaccine to prevent chicken pox became available 5 years ago, so today's preschoolers who were vaccinated will possibly not have to worry about getting shingles.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 10 to 20 percent of all Americans will have a bout of shingles at some time in their lives.
The varicella zoster virus that stays in the body after a case of chicken pox usually is kept inactive by the body's natural immune system. As people get older, their immune system naturally weakens to some germs, including herpes zoster. Most people with shingles are 65 years or older. Typically, but not always, shingles occurs in elderly people who are in some stressful situation. It is important to realize that just because a person develops shingles, does not indicate they are having difficulties or problems with their entire immune system. Shingles in the elderly is nearly as common as chicken pox in children.
It has been estimated that at least one-half of the population over the age of 80 will get shingles at some point in time. In addition to the elderly, other people with weakened immune systems who are at risk for developing shingles include people with HIV infection or AIDS, some patients with cancer; especially those receiving chemotherapy, transplant recipients, and people being treated with immunosuppressive drugs like corticosteroids.
Contagious shingles? It is safe to realize that shingles is not contagious. Shingles occurs only when the existing virus in a person's body becomes active. Personal contact with an infected person will not cause shingles. However, although shingles is not contagious, contact with a person with shingles could lead to chicken pox in someone who has never had chicken pox and has not received the varicella vaccine. It is recommended that children who have never had chicken pox or the vaccine remain distant from individuals with shingles, just to be on the safe side.
