Shingles is not transmitted from person to person, however, the virus that causes the disease and is also responsible for chickenpox can spread through direct contact with lesions that occur in secretions.
However, the virus is only transmitted to people who have never had chickenpox before and who have not given the vaccine for the disease. They are, because anyone who has been infected with the virus at some point in their life could not become infected again, because the body produces antibodies against a new infection.
- The risk of spreading shingles virus is higher when there are bubbles in the skin.
- As the virus is found in the secrets revealed by herds.
- So it is possible to infect the virus when:.
In this way, people with shingles should take certain precautions to avoid transmitting the virus, especially if they are close to someone who has never had chickenpox, some of these caregivers include washing their hands frequently, avoiding scratching blisters, covering skin lesions, and never sharing objects. who have been in direct contact with the skin.
When the virus is transmitted to another person, it does not cause shingles, but chickenpox. Shingles occurs only in people who have already had chickenpox and when the immune system is weakened, because that’s why shingles is not transmitted from person to person. .
In fact, after having chickenpox, the virus falls dormant, deciding, as if it were sleeping, inside the body and could “wake up” again when the immune system is weakened by a disease, with severe influenza, infection, widespread infection or autoimmune disease, such as AIDS, for example. When the virus “wakes up” it does not cause chickenpox, it does cause herpes zoster, which is a more serious infection that causes symptoms such as burning sensation and blisters on the skin, as well as persistent fever. Learn more about symptoms and treatment of shingles.
People who have never had contact with chickenpox are at risk of transmitting the virus that causes shingles.
In this way, at-risk groups include
However, even if the virus is transmitted, the person will not develop shingles, but chickenpox; Later, if the immune system is compromised, an episode of shingles may occur, he knows the first signs and symptoms that may indicate chickenpox.