Varicella-zoster virus

Varicella-zoster virus is a human herpesvirus that causes chickenpox during initial infection and can later reactivate from nerve tissue to cause shingles.

Latency ( virology): Latency is a state in which a virus persists in host cells with limited gene expression and no production of infectious particles. After chickenpox, the virus remains latent in sensory nerve ganglia.
Varicella vaccine: The varicella vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine that prevents chickenpox and reduces its complications. It prevents the initial infection that can later persist as latent virus.
Herpes simplex virus: Herpes simplex viruses are human herpesviruses that commonly cause oral or genital lesions and can persist latently in nerves. Like VZV, they establish latency, but typically cause recurrent mucocutaneous lesions rather than chickenpox.
Chickenpox: Chickenpox is the contagious illness caused by primary varicella-zoster virus infection, typically producing an itchy blistering rash. It is the characteristic disease of initial infection.
Shingles: Shingles is a painful, usually localized rash caused by reactivation of varicella-zoster virus. It is the disease that follows viral reactivation from latency.
Shingles vaccine: A shingles vaccine stimulates immunity to reduce the risk and severity of herpes zoster. It targets reactivation disease, especially in older adults.
Smallpox: Smallpox was a severe, contagious disease caused by variola virus and eradicated through vaccination. Its rash disease could resemble chickenpox, but variola virus was unrelated and far more lethal.
Congenital varicella syndrome: Congenital varicella syndrome is a pattern of fetal injury following maternal varicella infection during pregnancy. Maternal infection can rarely transmit risk to the developing fetus.
Sensory ganglion: A sensory ganglion is a cluster of nerve-cell bodies outside the central nervous system. These ganglia harbor latent virus after the initial infection.
Acyclovir: Acyclovir is an antiviral drug that inhibits replication of herpesviruses, including varicella-zoster virus. It can limit viral replication when given for chickenpox or shingles.

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