Varicella Zoster Virus

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), is one of eight herpesviruses known to infect humans. It causes chickenpox, a disease most commonly affecting children, teens, and young adults, and shingles in adults; shingles is rare in children. VZV is a worldwide pathogen known by many names: chickenpox virus, varicella virus, zoster virus, and Human herpesvirus 3 (HHV-3). VZV infections are species-specific to humans, but can survive in external environments for a few hours, maybe a day or two.

VZV multiplies in the lungs, and causes a wide variety of symptoms. After the primary infection (chickenpox), the virus goes dormant in the nerves, including the cranial nerve ganglia, dorsal root ganglia, and autonomic ganglia. Many years after the person has recovered from chickenpox, VZV can reactivate to cause neurologic conditions.