Shingles is a common viral infection that causes a painful rash. This article clarifies how shingles develops and spreads, addressing common questions about its transmission, particularly regarding sexually transmitted diseases.
Understanding Shingles
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, stems from the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which is the same virus responsible for chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the VZV does not leave the body; instead, it enters the nervous system and can remain inactive for many years. This dormant virus resides in nerve cells, specifically in the sensory ganglia.
When the virus reactivates, it travels along nerve pathways to the skin, producing the characteristic painful rash. The symptoms often begin with pain, burning, tingling, or itching in a localized area, typically on one side of the body or face. A few days later, a red rash appears, forming fluid-filled blisters that eventually break open and crust over. This rash commonly presents as a single stripe of blisters wrapping around one side of the torso, but it can appear anywhere on the body, including the face or around an eye.
Is Shingles a Sexually Transmitted Disease?
Shingles is not a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus already present in a person’s body, not through sexual contact. Sexually transmitted diseases are primarily spread through sexual activity, involving direct contact with mucous membranes or bodily fluids.
While shingles belongs to the herpes family of viruses, it is distinct from the viruses that cause genital herpes (Herpes Simplex Virus types 1 and 2). The appearance of “herpes” in its scientific name, herpes zoster, can lead to confusion, but it does not classify shingles as an STD. Shingles results from an internal viral reactivation within an individual who previously had chickenpox, rather than external transmission via sexual contact.
How Shingles is Transmitted
The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) can spread from a person with shingles to someone who has never had chickenpox or has not been vaccinated. However, shingles itself is not transmitted from person to person. Instead, direct contact with fluid from active shingles blisters can transmit the VZV, causing chickenpox in the exposed individual, not shingles.
Transmission primarily occurs during the blister phase, as the fluid contains viral particles. The virus can also spread through airborne droplets. Once blisters dry and crust over, the risk of spreading significantly decreases. People with shingles should keep their rash covered to lower transmission risk, as they are not contagious before blisters appear or after they have scabbed over.
Preventing Shingles
The primary method for preventing shingles and its potential complications is vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a specific shingles vaccine, Shingrix, for adults aged 50 years and older. This recommendation applies even if an individual has previously had shingles or received an older shingles vaccine. The vaccine is administered in two doses, typically spaced two to six months apart. It significantly reduces the risk of developing shingles and a common, painful complication called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). For adults aged 19 and older with weakened immune systems, the vaccine is also recommended due to their higher risk.