Varicella zoster virus - need for better infection prevention and control.

The varicella zoster virus primarily causes chickenpox. Herpes zoster is a typical late manifestation with reactivation of latent virus in sensory ganglia. Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease. Herpes zoster has been assumed to be less contagious, but studies have shown that reactivation of the varicella zoster virus also leads to significant spread of the virus (1–4). There has been increasing evidence in recent years that the varicella zoster virus can cause vasculitides, particularly in cerebral arteries (5–9).