Demyanovskaya neurologist: the chickenpox virus in adults leads to shingles
In adults, chickenpox goes away with serious complications.
The varicella zoster virus in adults can reactivate when the immune system is weakened and lead to shingles. Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, neurologist of the Hemotest laboratory, Candidate of Medical Sciences, spoke about it in a conversation with URA.RU.
“After recovery, a person develops lifelong immunity to chickenpox, but the virus does not disappear without a trace: it” hides “in the nerve ganglia and remains in the body forever in a” dormant “form. When the immune system is weakened. , the virus can reactivate, travel along large nerves to the skin, and lead to another serious disease: herpes zoster. Such cases are possible in people over the age of 50, in patients taking immunosuppressants, and in those with diseases that significantly weaken the immune defenses, such as HIV infection or oncological diseases “, explained Ekaterina Demyanovskaya.
According to the doctor, chickenpox in adults is generally more severe and longer than in children. “More often there is a severe course with the development of chickenpox meningoencephalitis with edema and inflammation of the meninges, chickenpox pneumonia and heart damage,” the doctor said.
It is also particularly dangerous to be infected with “chickenpox” during the first two trimesters of pregnancy: there is a high risk of the formation of multiple fetal malformations, the so-called congenital varicella syndrome. “In late pregnancy, the virus can cause premature birth and the onset of chickenpox a few days before birth is dangerous for the development of a serious form of infection in a newborn and even death,” the specialist stressed.
“If an adult did not get sick in childhood or does not remember if they had chickenpox, it is recommended that they be tested for IgG antibodies against varicella zoster virus. With a low titer or no antibodies, vaccination is recommended to avoid the development of the disease in a severe form, “summed up Demyanovskaya.
The varicella zoster virus in adults can reactivate when the immune system is weakened and lead to shingles. Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, neurologist of the Hemotest laboratory, Candidate of Medical Sciences, spoke about it in a conversation with URA.RU. “After recovery, a person develops lifelong immunity to chickenpox, but the virus does not disappear without a trace: it” hides “in the nerve ganglia and remains in the body forever in a” dormant “form. When the immune system is weakened. , the virus can reactivate, travel along large nerves to the skin, and lead to another serious disease: herpes zoster. Such cases are possible in people over the age of 50, in patients taking immunosuppressants, and in those with diseases that significantly weaken the immune defenses, such as HIV infection or oncological diseases “, explained Ekaterina Demyanovskaya. According to the doctor, chickenpox in adults is generally more severe and longer than in children. “More often there is a severe course with the development of chickenpox meningoencephalitis with edema and inflammation of the meninges, chickenpox pneumonia and heart damage,” the doctor said. It is also particularly dangerous to be infected with “chickenpox” during the first two trimesters of pregnancy: there is a high risk of the formation of multiple fetal malformations, the so-called congenital varicella syndrome. “In late pregnancy, the virus can cause premature birth and the onset of chickenpox a few days before birth is dangerous for the development of a serious form of infection in a newborn and even death,” the specialist stressed. “If an adult did not get sick in childhood or does not remember if they had chickenpox, it is recommended that they be tested for IgG antibodies against varicella zoster virus. With a low titer or no antibodies, vaccination is recommended to avoid the development of the disease in a severe form, “summed up Demyanovskaya.
