Herpes Zoster BY SUSAN BUSS Transmission Herpes Zoster

Herpes Zoster BY: SUSAN BUSS

Transmission �Herpes Zoster can’t be passed from one person to another. The virus that causes shingles (varicella zoster) can spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chicken pox. It spreads through direct contact with the fluid from the rash and blisters; not the sneezing, coughing, and casual contact

Symptoms � Pain � Itching � Tingling � Blisters/spreading rash that turns into scabs days later � Headache � Chills � Upset stomach � Fever � Sensitivity to light � Feeling of flu-like symptoms � Weakness � dizziness

Prevalence � 99. 5% of people born in the U. S. who are 40 years of age and older have varicella �A person’s risk for Herpes Zoster increases sharply after 50 years of age �About 50% of people who live to 85 years of age will have had an episode of Herpes Zoster � there about 4 cases per 1000 people in the U. S. �Estimated 1 million cases of Herpes Zoster annually in the United States

Prevention �The only prevention is to get a vaccination for chicken pox. Vaccination is licensed for people age 60 and older

Treatment �Several antiviral medicines to help shorten the length and severity of the illness �Pain medicine �Wet compresses, calamine lotion, colloidal oatmeal baths for the irritated and affected skin

Global Consequences �This virus is contagious �It can spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chicken pox. It spreads through direct contact with the fluid from the rash and blisters; not the sneezing, coughing, and casual contact �It doesn’t last forever, only one or two episodes occur. The long lasting side effects can be short episode of pain and scarring where the blisters were. �It’s not deadly or that bad of a disease; it isn't permanent so there probably wouldn’t be any global consequences besides the disease spreading and people getting sick for a few days or weeks

Personal Consequences �You can have long term problems like pain and scarring where the blisters and rash used to be �You have to deal with all the symptoms which are can be extremely painful like headache, chills, upset stomach, fever, sensitivity to light, flu-like symptoms, weakness, and dizziness for days up to weeks until you recover

Citations �. N. p. . Web. 24 Apr 2013. <http: //www. cdc. gov/shingles/hcp/clinicaloverview. html>. �Smith, . N. p. . Web. 24 Apr 2013. <http: //www. webmd. com/skin-problems-andtreatments/shingles-topic-overview>. �. N. p. . Web. 24 Apr 2013. <http: //www. cdc. gov/shingles/about/overview. html >.