What is the epidemiological significance of shingles?
A) It shows that, as a latent viral infection, there is always a possible reservoir available to reinfect new susceptible individuals.
B) It shows that we must always be vigilant against this deadly and highly infectious secondary infection in elderly and immunocompromised individuals.
C) It shows that, as a chronic viral infection, individuals infected are always infectious to others around them, even when they do not show outward symptoms.
D) It shows that our fight for long-term eradication of varicella zoster virus will be a long one, depending on immunizing all newly born individuals until all the people who had ever had contracted the illness have died.
E) It shows that, as a latent viral infection, there is always a possible reservoir available to reinfect new susceptible individuals AND it shows that our fight for long-term eradication of varicella zoster virus will be a long one, depending on immunizing all newly born individuals until all the people who had ever contracted the illness have died.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shingles is caused by the reactivation of varicella zoster virus that initially causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains in a dormant state in nerve cells and can reactivate later in life, causing shingles. Therefore, individuals who have had chickenpox can potentially develop shingles in their lifetime, becoming a reservoir for the virus. This makes it important to immunize all newly born individuals until all those who had contracted the illness have died to achieve long-term eradication of the virus. Additionally, individuals with shingles can transmit the virus to others who have not had chickenpox, causing them to develop chickenpox instead of shingles.

What Is the Epidemiological Significance of Shingles