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GuideWisdom™

This WisdomCard managed by: Tara Salamone

Herpes zoster (or simply zoster), commonly known as shingles, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe. The initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes the acute (short-lived) illness chickenpox, and generally occurs in children and young people. Once an episode of chickenpox has resolved, the virus is not eliminated from the body but can go on to cause shingles—an illness with very different symptoms—often many years after the initial infection. ...read more from Wikipedia

Fast Facts:

• --If you have had chickenpox you may suffer from shingles.¹
• --Chickenpox is a virus that causes a contagious, itchy rash during childhood.²
• --Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox that has lain dormant for years.³

Top Resources on Shingles and Chickenpox

• eMedTV: Shingles and Chickenpox
• A.D.A.M. (via University of Maryland Medical Center): Shingles and Chickenpox (Varicella-Zoster Virus)
• DermatologyChannel: Viral Infections Chickenpox & Shingles
• National Coalition for Adult Immunization: Facts About Chickenpox and Shingles For Adults
• University of Iowa: Chicken Pox and Shingles Are Related
• KidsGrowth: Same Virus Causes Chickenpox, Shingles

Related WisdomCards

• Chickenpox
• Shingles
• Varicella-Zoster Virus
• Herpes
• Chickenpox Medication
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella

GuideWisdom and Fast Facts References

1. ↑ University of Iowa: Chicken Pox and Shingles Are Related
2. ↑ DermatologyChannel: Viral Infections Chickenpox & Shingles
3. ↑ eMedTV: Shingles and Chickenpox

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