- How to get the herpes zoster virus
- What happens when the virus is transmitted
- Who is most at risk of getting the virus
Herpes zoster cannot be transmitted from one person to another, however, the virus that causes the disease, which is also responsible for chickenpox, can, through direct contact with the lesions that appear on the skin or with its secretions.
However, the virus is only transmitted to those who have never caught chicken pox before and also did not make the vaccine against the disease. This is because those who have been infected by the virus at some point in their life cannot be infected again, since the body produces antibodies against a new infection.
How to get the herpes zoster virus
The risk of passing the herpes zoster virus is greater when there are still blisters on the skin, as the virus is found in the secretions released by the wounds. Thus, it is possible to catch the virus when:
- It touches wounds or released secretions; Wears clothes that were worn by someone infected; Uses a bath towel or other objects that have come into direct contact with the skin of someone infected.
Thus, those who have herpes zoster should take some precautions to avoid passing the virus, especially if there is someone close who has never had chicken pox. Some of these precautions include washing your hands regularly, avoiding scratching blisters, covering skin lesions and never sharing objects that have been in direct contact with the skin.
What happens when the virus is transmitted
When the virus passes to another person, it does not cause herpes zoster, but chicken pox. Herpes zoster only appears in people who have had chickenpox before, at some point in their life, and when the immune system is weakened, it is for this reason that you cannot get someone else's herpes zoster.
This is because, after having chickenpox, the virus falls asleep inside the body and can wake up again when the immune system is weakened by a disease, such as a severe flu, a generalized infection or an autoimmune disease, such as AIDS, for example.. When he wakes up again, the virus does not give rise to chicken pox, but to herpes zoster, which is a more serious infection and causes symptoms such as a burning sensation in the skin, blisters on the skin and persistent fever.
Learn more about herpes zoster and what symptoms to watch out for.
Who is most at risk of getting the virus
The risk of getting the virus that causes herpes zoster is greater in people who have never had contact with chicken pox. Thus, risk groups include:
- Babies and children who have never had chicken pox; Adults who have never had chicken pox; People who have never had chicken pox or have had the vaccine against the disease.
However, even if the virus is transmitted, the person will not develop herpes zoster, but chicken pox. Years later, if her immune system is compromised, herpes zoster may arise.
See the first signs that may indicate that you have chicken pox.
