Why in the news?
A recent large study shows that shingles vaccination can reduce the risk of death from dementia and may help slow disease progression.
What is Shingles
- A viral infection characterized by a painful rash
- Causative agent: Varicella zoster virus (VZV)
- Same virus responsible for chickenpox
- Remains latent in nerve cells after recovery from chickenpox
- Can reactivate later in life
Transmission
- Shingles itself is not contagious
- But the virus can spread to people without prior immunity, causing chickenpox (not shingles)
Symptoms
- Cluster of blisters appearing in a band-like pattern on one side of the body (typically torso, neck, or face)
- Pain, burning, tingling sensation
- Fever, fatigue, headache
- Can lead to post-herpetic neuralgia (long-term nerve pain)
| HINI virus is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to which one of the following diseases? (2015)
(a) AIDS (b) Bird flu (c) Dengue (d) Swine flu |
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