How Contagious Is Shingles? Once you are unlucky to have shingles symptom, which is a strip of rash / blister, you may be eager to know how contagious are shingles?

Shingles/ herpes zoster virus

Shingles/ herpes zoster is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), which is a double-stranded DNA virus related to the Herpes simplex virus group. If you have got chickenpox before, then you have such varicella zoster virus, this virus remains dormant in the body and may re-emerge years later. When your immune system is lower, the virus will re-occur and with a symptom of shingles / herpes zoster. However, recurrence of shingles / herpes zoster is rare, and it is extremely rare for patients to suffer more than three repeated attacks.

Shingles/ herpes zoster Contagious

Shingles virus has a high level of infectivity and is prevalent worldwide, and has a very stable prevalence from generation to generation. But one can’t easily get shingles from someone who has the shingles, unless the person is in contact with the rash/sores and fluid that is draining from them. Once the shingles of the outbreak was over, it is little possible to be caught by shingles virus.

Once you have get shingles outbreak, it is very important to keep the affected area clean, as it will prevent the rash to spread to other parts of your body. Although it is little possibility that shingles spread to organs and cause serious damage if no treatment action was taken. However, in case the shingles virus spreads to the eyes, it is suggested to go to see the doctor to prevent further complications, as in some seriously case, the eye may result in such things as loss of vision, glaucoma, or cataracts.

In addition, shingles virus is not transmitted through airborne, such as sneezing or coughing. Once the rash has developed to be crusts, the person is no longer contagious to others. A person will be not infectious before blisters appear or after the rash is gone, although the guy suffered from post-herpetic neuralgia.