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Originally Posted by sbaglio

You never, ever, get used to seeing a child die. Never. I have too many heartbreaking stories, so I'll just stop there...

Yes, shingles represents reactivation disease. The full name of the virus is varicella-zoster (VZ). Primary infection causes varicella/chicken pox. An immunocompetent person's defenses control the infection after a time, and the virus remains latent in the nerve ganglia (or nerve roots, as it were). When the body's defenses decrease again, such as in older individuals, the virus can reactivate, causing zoster/shingles. My mum had shingles last year, so I know what you mean about the pain.

In immunocompromised people (e.g. those getting chemotherapy, on immunosuppressive drugs, the very malnourished, those with AIDS etc), zoster can become disseminated (spread) throughout the body, rather than remaining in certain areas of the skin.

It's a very scary disease, especially when teens and adults get it for the first time, or when immunocompromised people develop the disease.

SUPER I love being immune suppressed!

What causes the reactivation or whatever? Is it re-exposure or stress or do they just not know....like everything else in my medical file