A patient suffering from Herpes zoster can transmit chickenpox to another person who has never contracted it (or who has not been vaccinated), but not shingles .
The infection can occur through direct contact with the fluid contained in the vesicular lesions, in which the varicella-zoster virus is present and active. The subject, instead, is not infectious before the rash appears and after the evolution of the vesicles in dry crusts.
In order not to risk transmitting the varicella-zoster virus to other people, the patient should avoid touching or scratching vesicles, wash his hands often and keep the eruption covered. Furthermore, the subject suffering from Herpes zoster should not share personal items (eg towels), go to the swimming pool or practice contact sports, such as rugby.
During the active phase of shingles, then, it is particularly important to prevent the spread of the infection to pregnant women, newborns and immunosuppressed people (eg patients receiving therapy with immunosuppressive drugs or undergoing chemotherapy and transplantation). organ).
