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Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

Source: www.bhchp.org
Topic: Herpes
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Sort Desciption: The Health Care of Homeless ... Infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes two distinct clinical syndromes: primary varicella infection (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (shingles). ...

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Infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes two distinct clinical syndromes: primary varicella infection (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (shingles). Herpes zoster will be discussed in this chapter. Varicella infection is discussed in a separate chapter. Once a person has had chickenpox, VZV lies dormant in the human body for decades before reactivating to cause a localized skin eruption in the distribution of one or two dermatomes. The typical lesions of shingles are painful red blisters (or vesicles) that occur on one side of the body and do not cross the midline. The zoster lesions erupt for several days and go through stages of healing over the course of 2-4 weeks. The likelihood of occurrence and severity of this illness are related to each persons underlying health status. Elderly and immunosuppressed (people are at highest risk of VZV reactivation, and the resulting illness is often more severe. Antiretroviral medications, if given early in the course of illness, can decrease the severity and duration of symptoms and reduce the complications of herpes zoster. Prevalence and Distribution The cumulative lifetime incidence of herpes zoster is estimated to be 10-20% of the population. The majority of cases occur in the elderly, with both sexes affected equally. This infection seems to occur less often in African-American people than white populations, as evidenced by a study of elderly people in North Carolina. Approximately 4% of patients who develop herpes zoster will experience a recurrence. Immunocompromised individuals, including transplant recipients, HIV-infected patients, and patients receiving long term steroids, are at higher risk of developing herpes zoster than the general population, and these patients are more likely to have disseminated disease and recurrence of shingles. Mode of Transmission and ...

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