What Virus Causes Shingles?
Shingles is caused by Varicella zoster virus (VZV), which belongs to herpesviridae. The herpesviridae, also know as herpes viruses, are a large family of DNA viruses that cause diseases in animals, including humans.
For the virus in humans, they can be divided into eight distinct. Below are herpes viruses that existed in human being.
|
Type |
Synonym |
Pathophysiology |
Means of Spread |
|
HHV-1 |
Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) |
Oral and/or genital herpes (predominantly orofacial), as well as other herpes simplex infections |
Close contact |
|
HHV-2 |
Herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) |
Oral and/or genital herpes (predominantly genital), as well as other herpes simplex infections |
Close contact (sexually transmitted disease) |
|
HHV-3 |
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) |
Chickenpox and shingles |
Respiratory and close contact |
|
HHV-4 |
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), lymphocryptovirus |
Infectious mononucleosis, Burkitt’s lymphoma, CNS lymphoma in AIDS patients, |
Close contact, transfusions, tissue transplant, and congenital |
|
post-transplant lymphoproliferative syndrome (PTLD), nasopharyngeal carcinoma, HIV-associated hairy leukoplakia |
|||
|
HHV-5 |
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) |
Infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome,[9] retinitis, etc. |
Saliva |
|
HHV-6 |
Roseolovirus, Herpes lymphotropic virus |
Sixth disease (roseola infantum or exanthem subitum) |
Respiratory and close contact? |
|
HHV-7 |
Roseolovirus |
Sixth disease (roseola infantum or exanthem subitum) |
|
|
HHV-8 |
Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus |
Kaposi’s sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, some types of multicentric Castleman’s disease |
Close contact (sexual), saliva? |
|
(KSHV), a type of rhadinovirus |
From above table, it is obviously to find that shingles virus is the type of HHV-3, named Varicella zoster virus (VZV). This virus cause chicken pox when people are first infected, usually in childhood. Chickenpox is very contagious during the period form fluid-filled blister to a dry crust. After chicken pox, the virus is in the body and it becomes shingles when the virus is re-active again.