Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesAt-Risk GroupsTriggersSpreadPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
At-Risk Groups
Triggers
Spread
Prevention
When you haveshingles, you can pass on the virus and give chickenpox to someone who has never had it before.While you will not directly give them shingles, they will be at risk of getting shingles later in life once they have had chickenpox.
This article discusses how shingles can spread, including what you need to do to prevent transmitting it to other people if you have the virus.
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What Causes Shingles?
Shingles happen because the virus that causes chickenpox (varicella zoster) gets reactivated. After a person has chickenpox, the virus will stay in the body but is inactive (dormant). If the virus “wakes up” and becomes active in the body again, it causes shingles.
Not everyone who catches chickenpox as a child will develop shingles later in life. It’s rare, but some people get shingles more than once. If you have not had chickenpox or never got the chickenpox vaccine, you are at risk of catching the varicella zoster virus (VZV).
Groups at Risk
Some groups are more likely to get shingles including:
Some people seem to be more likely to have a shingles outbreak or have complications from the illness. For example:
Shingles Triggers
Some things that can trigger a shingles outbreak in people who have had chickenpox include:
Varicella-Zoster Virus: Overlap Between Chickenpox and Shingles
How the Shingles Virus Is Spread
Shingles itself is not a contagious illness, and you cannot catch shingles from someone. However, if you have shingles, you can pass VZV to people who havenever had chickenpox.
The virus can be spread through direct contact with fluid from shingles rash or blisters. It’s not possible to pass VZV to someone before shingles blisters appear or after the lesions have crusted over—that’s why covering up your rash helps prevent the spread of the virus.
An outbreak of shingles usually happens many years after a person had chickenpox. Thefirst signsthat the virus has been reactive are malaise, fever, a tingling or burning sensation in one area of the skin (usually where the rash will develop), and pain. These are the “pre-rash” symptoms of shingles.
Within a few days, a one-sided rash forms on the face or body. It can take up to 10 days for the rash and blisters to crust over and it will clear up several weeks later.
Is It Safe to Be Around Someone With Shingles?
Airborne transmission of shingles is not something to worry about when the sick person has a rash that’s just in one area (localized) and a strong immune system. However, research suggests that airborne transmission of shingles is possible in people who are immunocompromised or have a wider-spread (disseminated) rash with lesions outside of the main area.
How to Avoid Spreading Shingles
A person with shingles is contagious until the rash crusts over.You’re no longer contagious when the shingles rash and blisters start to scab over—which is usually about 10 days after the rash first shows up. The best way for people with shingles to prevent the spread of VZV is to:
You should avoid contact with vulnerable people if you have shingles. Until the rash begins to heal and crust over, stay away from people who are at a higher risk for VZV complications, including people with compromised immune systems and pregnant people.
How Caregivers Can Protect ThemselvesCaregiversproviding support to someone with shingles can take the following actions to protect themselves from the virus:Covering the rash and blisters to prevent the spread of the virusFrequent handwashingFrequent clothes washingPromptly throwing away used bandages
How Caregivers Can Protect Themselves
Caregiversproviding support to someone with shingles can take the following actions to protect themselves from the virus:Covering the rash and blisters to prevent the spread of the virusFrequent handwashingFrequent clothes washingPromptly throwing away used bandages
Caregiversproviding support to someone with shingles can take the following actions to protect themselves from the virus:
Can I Go to Work With Shingles?
If you have shingles, you can go to work if you are no longer contagious. However, you may need to wait until you’re feeling better to return to work, as having shingles can be extremely painful and even debilitating.
Vaccines
Two vaccines may help prevent shingles:
Do notget the Shingrix vaccine if you are:
If you’re not sure if you can or should get vaccinated against shingles, talk to your healthcare provider.
Summary
If you’ve never had chickenpox, you do not need to worry about developing shingles—however, you could still catch chickenpox from someone who has shingles.
Even though you cannot give someone else shingles, you can give them the virus that causes it. If you have shingles, you should take steps to prevent spreading the virus to at-risk people.
Getting vaccinated for chickenpox or shingles can help you avoid infection in the first place and the complications it can cause.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Aging.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).Marra F, Parhar K, Huang B, Vadlamudi N.Risk factors for herpes zosterInfection: A meta-analysis.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020;7(1):ofaa005. Published 2020 Jan 9. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa005Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of shingles (herpes zoster).NHS.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing VZV transmission in healthcare settings.New York State Department of Health.Shingles (herpes zoster).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult immunization schedule.Additional ReadingCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles symptoms and complications.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Aging.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).Marra F, Parhar K, Huang B, Vadlamudi N.Risk factors for herpes zosterInfection: A meta-analysis.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020;7(1):ofaa005. Published 2020 Jan 9. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa005Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of shingles (herpes zoster).NHS.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing VZV transmission in healthcare settings.New York State Department of Health.Shingles (herpes zoster).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult immunization schedule.Additional ReadingCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles symptoms and complications.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Aging.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).Marra F, Parhar K, Huang B, Vadlamudi N.Risk factors for herpes zosterInfection: A meta-analysis.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020;7(1):ofaa005. Published 2020 Jan 9. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa005Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of shingles (herpes zoster).NHS.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing VZV transmission in healthcare settings.New York State Department of Health.Shingles (herpes zoster).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult immunization schedule.
National Institute on Aging.Shingles.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).
Marra F, Parhar K, Huang B, Vadlamudi N.Risk factors for herpes zosterInfection: A meta-analysis.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020;7(1):ofaa005. Published 2020 Jan 9. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa005
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of shingles (herpes zoster).
NHS.Shingles.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing VZV transmission in healthcare settings.
New York State Department of Health.Shingles (herpes zoster).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult immunization schedule.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles symptoms and complications.
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