Can older people catch shingles from a baby with chicken pox?!


Question: Can older people catch shingles from a baby with chicken pox!?
Answers:
Contrary to previous answers - NO they cant!. You cannot 'catch' shingles from anyone!.

Chickenpox is caused by a virus called the varicella-zoster virus!. Once you have had chickenpox this virus stays within your body, but goes dormant!. At anytime in the future, after you have had chickenpox, the virus can be triggered and become active again!. There is not always any apparent reason for this, but it is sometimes linked to being low or stressed due to another illness or trauma!. When this occurs a person then develops a bout of shingles!. This is not because you have caught shingles from anyone, or because you have been in contact with chickenpox, but purely by virtue of the fact that at sometime in the past you have had chickenpox yourself and the virus is reactivated!.

Anyone of any age can suffer with bout of shingles once they have had chickenpox!. A larger proportion of elderly folk seem to suffer with shingles, but this is due to a weakening/lower of the immune system in old age which may lead to a higher probability of the virus reactivating!.

If an elderly person who has not had chickenpox comes into contact with a baby with chickenpox then they may contract chickenpox themselves!.

A person with shingles cannot pass shingles on, but if they have contact with a person who has NEVER HAD CHICKENPOX then that person could catch chickenpox!. However, it is much harder to catch chickenpox in this way!. Chickenpox in its original form can be spread through coughing and sneezing and contact with the fluid in the blistery rash!. A person with shingles can only spread chickenpox if the vunerable person touches the rash!.

Certain categories of person who have never had chickenpox are more vunerable to the chickenpox virus and it can cause them more severe problems than normal - very young babies, very elderly folk, pregnant woman and individuals who's immune systems are compromised (ie those with HIV, other diseases that affect the immune system, those on medication that affects the immune system such as steroids or chemotherapy)

Hope that helps!. You can verify this info!. on the NHS Direct website, Patient UK website or NetDoctor!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

yes - especially if they are frail and run down!. be careful!.

Edit : actually now reading up on it from what i can gather you can't - as you have already had the chickenpox virus (which remains with you)!. If you haven't had chickenpox, then you would just catch chicken pox from the baby!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.I think the shingles is just the chickenpox virus triggered off by being old/tired/run down or by just the person having a low immune system and turning into Shingles!.

All very confusing

read this which i got from the web:
What is shingles!?

Shingles is a painful rash caused by the Varicella zoster virus (Herpes varicellae), which is the virus that causes chickenpox !. Shingles occurs in people who have had chickenpox and is a reactivation of the dormant virus!. Shingles often occurs many years after the initial chickenpox infection!. Shingles is contagious and may itself cause chickenpox!.

However, contact with a person with shingles or chickenpox cannot cause shingles!.

!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Yes,my nan caught it from my son when he had them i felt awful xWww@Answer-Health@Com

Yes they can, and it is much worse for older people!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Yes they can!Www@Answer-Health@Com

yes they can!.!. im not sure of the reasons behind it but they definately canWww@Answer-Health@Com

Yes you can, but you can't catch chicken pox from someone with shingles!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Yes!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Yes you canWww@Answer-Health@Com

yup yup yup!Www@Answer-Health@Com

Hey :)

The skin blisters that form in shingles are full of the chickenpox virus, which means a person with shingles is infectious!. You can't catch shingles from someone with shingles (or someone with chickenpox), but you can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if you've never had the infection and therefore aren't immune!.

Most adults - about 95 per cent - have been exposed to chickenpox and are immune, even though many aren't aware of it (they may have had only a mild dose of chickenpox when they were young)!. However, a small number of adults aren't immune and will be at risk!. Also, when the immune system is suppressed (for example, when someone is being treated for cancer), a person can catch chickenpox for a second time!.
Hope that helped!Www@Answer-Health@Com

I am going to second Sad Joe's answer!.

The other posters are incorrect - you CANNOT catch shingles from a baby with chickenpox!.

However you can catch chickenpox (if you haven't been vaccinated or had it) from a baby with chickenpox!.
You can catch chickenpox (if you haven't been vaccinated or had it already) from a person with shingles - although it is more difficult!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Shingles shows up in people who have already had the Chicken Pox when they were younger!. The virus remains dormant for years and something triggers it to reappear and it shows up as shingles!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories