Reply #88: He got it from reactivated virus in his own body, not from "selfish assholes". [View All]

[Hannah Bell]

"Herpes zoster (or simply zoster), commonly known as shingles, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe. The initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes the acute (short-lived) illness chickenpox, and generally occurs in children and young people. Once an episode of chickenpox has resolved, the virus is not eliminated from the body but can go on to cause shingles—an illness with very different symptoms—often many years after the initial infection."


Like the herpes virus, the chickenpox virus is forever. Once you've had chickenpox, it hides out in your body until illness, decreased immunity, etc. weakens your system enough for it to manifest.