• Question: why do people usually only have chicken pox once in their life unlike other diseases?

    Asked by sparkels to Carmen, Steph on 20 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Stephanie Dyson

      Stephanie Dyson answered on 20 Mar 2015:

      I think it is because the virus responsible for chicken pox stays in our system but at low amounts. If you get it again it tends to appear as a different condition called shingles but it is caused by the same virus.

      Steph

    • Photo: Carmen Denman

      Carmen Denman answered on 20 Mar 2015:

      There is a risk for latency with varicella virus, causative agent of chicken pox. Usually it isn’t an issue, but it can re emerge as shingles when we are older!

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