Most adults at risk of shingles

Nine out of 10 prone to shingles – these odds seem incredibly high. How can this be? Dr Allison Glass, who is a specialist virologist at Lancet Laboratories, explained that almost everybody has, at some time in their life, been exposed to the varicella zoster virus, the same virus which is responsible for both chickenpox and shingles.

She highlights that chickenpox is a common childhood illness, and after you’ve had this infection, the virus remains in the body, lying dormant in the root of the sensory nerves underneath the skin. From there, and at any time, the virus can be re-activated and travel back down the nerve to the skin, causing the rash and, in some cases, the severe pain that is characteristic of shingles.

“Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of getting shingles,” said Dr Glass. “However, because in children, exposure to the chickenpox virus can have very mild symptoms, you might not even remember having ever had chickenpox. The immune system can suppress and keep the virus under control for many years, but, with time and as one gets older, there is a decline in natural immunity and the virus can flair up again, presenting as shingles,” Dr Glass concluded.