Varicella after Exposure to Localized Herpes Zoster

Dilek Yılmaz Çiftdoğan 1
1İzmir Tepecik Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Çocuk Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları Kliniği, İzmir, Türkiye

J Pediatr Inf 2016; 10: 108-110
DOI: 10.5152/ced.2015.1797
Key Words: Varicella-zoster virus, herpes zoster, transmission

Varicella is a common contagious disease during childhood and is the result of primary infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The second clinical form of VZV, known as herpes zoster (HZ), results from the reactivation of endogenous latent VZV infection within the sensory ganglia. The risk of transmission of VZV infection is higher with exposure to primary VZV infection compared with that of HZ. The transmission of VZV from individuals with localized HZ is very rare. Herein, a 2-month-old boy who was diagnosed with primary VZV infection after exposure to localized HZ is presented because of the very rare occurrence of VZV transmission from individuals with localized HZ.