Herpes Zoster History

Herpes zoster is an infection of the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. It is also known as shingles.

Description

• Herpes zoster is characterized by a reddish rash on the skin. This happens when the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), after being dormant in certain nerve cells, inexplicably reactivates.

Discovery

• Physicians began to characterize the disease in the 19th century, when herpes zoster was recognized as distinct from other conditions caused by VZV, like chickenpox, due to its distinctive belt-like rashes (Its alternate name, shingles, is a corruption of the Greek word "zoster" meaning "belt"). In 1861, Felix von Bärunsprung confirmed the origin of herpes zoster in the spine, building off the theories Richard Bright presented 30 years earlier.

Further Research

• Sir Henry Head and A.W. Campbell did further work with herpes zoster by the end of the 19th century, characterizing the onset, progression and remission of the disease.

Today

• In May 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved of a VZV vaccine that reduces the incidence of herpes zoster by half. However, the vaccine is yet to be made widely available, as it was initially developed for older patients.

Significance

• According to a report by the American College of Physicians, people over 50 years of age are more likely to develop herpes zoster, accounting for roughly half of the 1 million U.S. citizens affected annually.