infant exposure to shingles affected person

avivah · Newbie Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 7

Hi, my kid is 10 months old and I am very worried because she was exposed to shingles affected person. I would like to know what may happen to my baby and how serious that may be. If someone has similar experience I would be glad to hear. Thank you very much.

damaris · Newbie Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 12

Hi, people who are affected with shingles are suffering from reactivation of herpes zoster virus. This virus causes smallpox in children and shingles in grown man who already had smallpox. Virus may be hibernated in the nerves of some person for a very long time till his immunity becomes weaker and then it may appear.

Guest · Guest

It causes chicken pox not small pox thats a different disease!

Guest · Guest

Shingles are common. They are indeed cause by the same herpes virus that causes chickenpox. Those who have been exposed to the virus commonly retain dormant virus in the nervous tissue. This dormant virus can be reactivated years later by a variety of triggers, the most common triggers being stress or immune suppression from some other cause. This usually happens in the 6th or 7th decade of life but can happen to younger people as well. It is possible to pass on the virus from exposed areas of the shingles rash, but cases of this are very rare. Most individuals in the US have been exposed to or immunized against this virus therefore have little to worry about. Those that are not immune could develop chickenpox from the virus.

This replication cycle is common to most herpes viruses and is similar to what happens with the herpes virus that causes cold sores as well. The virus is dormant in the nerves for a period of time then is reactivated by some trigger. You can pass the virus to another individual by exposure to an open infected sore.

infant exposure to shingles affected person

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