What Does the Shingles Virus Look Like?
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), shingles, or herpes zoster, is a virus that anyone who has had chicken pox can develop. When the chicken pox virus clears, it remains dormant (inactive) within some nerve cells in the body. About 20 percent of people will develop shingles when the virus reactivates. Unlike the chicken pox, however, shingles can be extremely painful. Vaccines have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for individuals over age 60, and they may decrease the incidence of shingles by more than 50 percent, according to the AAD.
