Understanding Shingles: What the Varicella-Zoster Virus Affects

The virus that causes chickenpox and shingles, human herpesvirus-1 (HHV-1), also known as varicella-zoster virus (VZV), is one of the alphaherpesvirinae. These are herpes viruses that impact mucosal tissues and nerve cells.

Identification

• During primary infection with VZV, the virus targets the mucosal tissues of the lungs. According to Microbiology and Immunology Online, the virus at this point infects white blood cells called macrophages and cells of the lungs' air sacs called pneumocytes.

Features

• The virus spreads out from the lungs and affects skin (epithelial) cells on the body. After the active infection, Microbiology and Immunology Online reports that the virus goes dormant (inactive) in nerve cells in which it had been replicated.

Time Frame

• The varicella-zoster virus can remain inactive in nerve cells for years or even decades; while children are most commonly infected with VZV, most cases of shingles do not occur until later in adulthood.

Effects

• When VZV reactivates, it leads to shingles. This condition, according to the Mayo Clinic, is marked by pain as well as a rash with blisters along the path of the affected nerve.

Considerations

• Varicella-zoster virus goes dormant again in nerve cells after active shingles. The virus is not cleared from the system of an infected person, and recurring outbreaks of shingles are possible.