Summary
Shingles is a viral disease that is very common in adults. The pathogen is the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), which belongs to the herpes virus family. Shingles is a very painful disease in which a vesicular rash is visible on the skin surface.
This rash causes the pain mentioned above. Most of the time the viruses have been dormant in the body of the affected person for years, who is typically very old and/or has a weak immune system before the onset of the disease. The viruses can then be reactivated and break out in the form of shingles.
As mentioned, the virus has been in the body for years. Most of those affected have been infected with the Varicella Zoster virus since childhood, which at that time was usually manifested in the form of chickenpox. Only very few children fall ill directly with shingles, but if they do, they are often free of symptoms or have only very few symptoms.
However, chickenpox can be all the more severe. In most cases, children are immune to shingles and its pathogens immediately after chickenpox, which can only reappear later under the above-mentioned conditions. Nevertheless, there are still a few children who develop shingles directly after chickenpox.
