Because the virus that causes herpes zoster is the chicken pox virus, persons with active herpes zoster are at risk for transmitting chicken pox. Like chicken pox, the person is considered infectious until the rash has crusted over. Persons who have not had chicken pox are at risk for getting it if they come in contact with the fluid oozed from the vesicles. Those with chicken pox transmit the virus most effectively by respiratory means (sneezing, runny nose, saliva, etc.

A.    Yes. Since chickenpox and shingles are caused by the same virus (varicella zoster), the shingles vaccine is the chickenpox vaccine See similar questions...

Herpes viruses have two main characteristics: they stay with you for life, and they cause spreading skin eruptions. The virus that causes chickenpox and shingles fits that description perfectly. See similar questions...

Yes. Transmission may occur from person to person from infected rspiratory tract secretions. Transmission may also occur by respiratory contact with airborne droplets or by direct contact or inhalation of aerosols from vesicular fluid of skin lesions of acute Chickenpox (Varicella) or Shingles (Herpes Zoster). See similar questions...

Shingles, also called herpes zoster or zoster, is a painful skin rash caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). VZV is the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays in the body. Usually the virus does not cause any problems; however, the virus can reappear years later, causing shingles. Herpes zoster is not caused by the same virus that causes genital herpes, a sexually transmitted disease. See similar questions...

A: Ichthyosis is definitely not contagious. It is not caused by a bacteria, virus, or germs, and thus it cannot be passed from one person to another. See similar questions...

No, epilepsy is never contagious. You cannot catch epilepsy from someone else and nobody can catch it from you. See similar questions...

In many respects, yes. If you have one on your feet, it would be unwise to pick at it and it can spread to someone else if that person has the potential towards getting that virus in the same way certain people have the potential for catching a certain cold. The wart virus likes to linger around moist environments such as pools, spas, locker rooms, public showers (such as those at the gym). Wearing flip flops or crocs in these areas is always a good idea. See similar questions...

Yes. About 1% of the population carries MRSA on the skin – they are considered to be ‘colonized’ with MRSA and are generally asymptomatic. People who are exposed to the organism from a carrier generally do not get sick from it, or develop only mild illnesses (similar to normal staph infections). However, if a minor infection is not cared for, or if there are other factors (e.g., compromised immunity), then the infection may become more serious. See similar questions...

EMS is not a contagious disease. There should not be fears about that. Naturally, chronic diseases such as EMS may have profound effects upon close family members of the sick person and might contribute to feelings of depression, anxiety, problems with children accepting the illness, or other physical and emotional conditions in loved ones. But this occurs with any chronic illness that goes on for many years - which is what a chronic illness is, an ongoing one. See similar questions...

Vitiligo is NOT contagious. If it were, many more people in the world, including doctors who treat vitiligo and family members of those with vitiligo, would have the condition. There are many theories about what causes vitiligo, but many experts believe, and data supports the theory, that one must be genetically susceptible, in order to develop vitiligo. See similar questions...

While the exact cause of the disease is not known, what is known indicates that Parkinson's is not contagious. Parkinson's is a neurological, not a mental, disorder. In the majority of cases, it slows the body, not the mind. However, when brain cells are affected by medication, some emotional changes can be expected. Anxiety and depression are very common among people with Parkinson's and may occur due to seratonin imbalance, a side effect of certain medications. See similar questions...

No, it's important to note that BSE is not a contagious disease; spread occur through the ingestion of infected material, generally brain or spinal cord tissue. See similar questions...

Smallpox is less contagious than chickenpox or measles. The great majority of people in a large room will become infected if even only one person has measles, whereas the highest risk for smallpox is face-to face contact, i.e. within 2 meters (6.5 feet). If there is personal protective equipment (fit-tested N-95 masks, gloves, etc.) on you and the patient, the risk of airborne spread becomes very low. See similar questions...

Yes, definitely. But they can't jump from head to head and they can't fly. The only way they can be transmitted is by direct contact (heads touching) or indirect contact (a hat passed around which has been worn by a person with headlice). See similar questions...

The scientific name for the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles is varicella-zoster virus. "Varicella" is the Latin word for "little pox." The term "zoster" comes from the Greek word for "girdle," which relates to the most common area for a shingles outbreak. See similar questions...

Another name for shingles is herpes zoster. Some other skin diseases may also carry the name herpes. Shingles disease however and some other skin diseases carrying the name herpes is not the same as genital herpes which is a sexually transmitted disease. See similar questions...

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two primary types of genital herpes called HSV-1 and HSV-2. Although the herpes simplex virus can stay in the a personas body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a long period of time. See similar questions...