BACKGROUND The herpes zoster burden of disease in Sweden is not well investigated. There is no Swedish immunization program to prevent varicella zoster virus infections. A vaccine against herpes zoster and its complications is now available. The aim of this study was to estimate the herpes zoster burden of disease and to establish a pre-vaccination baseline of the minimum incidence of herpes zo...

INTRODUCTION Infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) was first documented in the writings of ancient civilizations as a vesicular rash of unknown causes. A relationship between herpes zoster and chickenpox was suggested in 1888 and was finally proven in the 1950s. Since then, much progress has been made in preventing and treating the disease with the introduction of a live attenuated vaccin...

BACKGROUND Herpes Zoster is a disease that occurs after the virus is reactivated due to infection of the varicella virus in childhood. Risk factors are advanced age, malignant neoplasm, organ transplantation, immunosuppressive agents taking are known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the seasonal effect and other risk factors on the incidence of herpes zoste...

Makzal Z, Edwards M. BMJ Case Rep 2017. doi:10.1136/bcr-2017-222112 Description A girl aged 15 months presented with a 2-day history of fatigue and fever, along with a vesicular rash over her right eye and forehead (see figure 1). Swabs were sent for PCR and were positive for varicella zoster DNA, and a working diagnosis of herpes zoster ophthalmicus was made. There was no history of varicella ...

In a search for past or present infection with herpes viruses, serum antibody titres to herpes simplex type 1 virus, cytomegalovirus, and varicella-zoster virus were measured by complement fixation test in 58 patients with achalasia. Serum was also taken from 40 age and sex matched patients without oesophageal symptoms who formed a control group. All titres were low, and those for herpes simple...

Background Systemic inflammation and dysregulated immune function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is hypothesized to predispose patients to development of herpes zoster. However, the risk of herpes zoster among patients with COPD is undocumented. We therefore aimed to investigate the risk of herpes zoster among patients with COPD. Methods We conducted a cohort study using data f...

Immunodeficient patients are at risk of developing extended or atypical herpes simplex virus infections, which can be easily misdiagnosed. We present the case of a 79-year-old, treatment-induced (oral corticosteroid), immunocompromised female with an extensive atypical herpes simplex virus infection. This patient presented with multiple erosions and vesicles on the trunk with a subacute onset. ...

Myxedema coma is a disease state which characterised by altered sensorium, hyponatremia, Bradycardia and hypotension. It an emergency where prompt treatment needed at the earliest, failure in identifying it associated with fatal prognosis. The crisis usually triggered stressful events, most common of infections like pneumonia urinary tract infection. There has been sporadic case reports myxedem...

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were measured in sera from subjects with acute varicella and herpes zoster, VZV-immune subjects remote from infection, and recipients of a live attenuated varicella vaccine, using a solid-phase radioimmunoassay. Primary infection with VZV was associated with early production of IgA antibodies. Among 36 subjects with varicella tes...

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a common disease in the elderly population that is caused by reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus. Its manifestations and complications can lead to significant short- and long-term morbidity. In 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved Zoster Vaccine Live (Zostavax) for the prevention of herpes zoster in immunocompetent adu...