Shingles Contagious? Understanding Herpes Zoster Transmission

Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is a viral infection that can cause blisters on the skin. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles is only contagious to people who have not had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. The virus can be spread through direct contact with the blisters or through the air from someone who is coughing or sneezing.