Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is one of eight herpes viruses known to infect humans. It commonly causes chicken-pox in children and both shingles and postherpetic neuralgia in adults.

Primary VZV infection results in chickenpox (varicella), which may rarely result in complications including encephalitis or pneumonia. Even when clinical symptoms of chickenpox have resolved, VZV remains dormant in the nervous system of the infected person (virus latency), in the trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia (Steiner et al., 2007). In about 10-20% of cases, VZV reactivates later in life producing a disease known as herpes zoster or shingles. Serious complications of shingles include postherpetic neuralgia, zoster multiplex, myelitis, herpes ophthalmicus, or zoster sine herpete.

Steiner I, Kennedy PG, Pachner AR (2007). «The neurotropic herpes viruses: herpes simplex and varicella-zoster». Lancet Neurol 6 (11): 1015–28.

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