• Shingles and Chickenpox (Varicella-Zoster Virus) - Introduction
• Highlights
• Risk Factors
• Complications
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis
• Vaccination

Introduction

Shingles and chickenpox are both caused by a single virus of the herpes family, known as varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The word herpes is derived from the Greek word "herpein," which means "to creep," a reference to a characteristic pattern of skin eruptions. VZV causes two different clinical illnesses:

• Varicella, or chickenpox, develops after an individual is exposed to VZV for the first time.
• Herpes zoster, or shingles, develops from reactivation of the virus later in life, usually...