Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Medicine and Disease: An Overview
- Part II Changing Concepts of Health and Disease
- Part III Medical Specialties and Disease Prevention
- Part IV Measuring Health
- Part V The History of Human Disease in the World Outside Asia
- Part VI The History of Human Disease in Asia
- Part VII The Geography of Human Disease
- Part VIII Major Human Diseases Past and Present
- VIII.1 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- VIII.2 African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)
- VIII.3 Ainhum
- VIII.4 Alzheimer’s Disease
- VIII.5 Amebic Dysentery
- VIII.6 Anemia
- VIII.7 Anorexia Nervosa
- VIII.8 Anthrax
- VIII.9 Apoplexy and Stroke
- VIII.10 Arboviruses
- VIII.11 Arenaviruses
- VIII.12 Arthritis (Rheumatoid)
- VIII.13 Ascariasis
- VIII.14 Bacillary Dysentery
- VIII.15 Beriberi
- VIII.16 Black Death
- VIII.17 Black and Brown Lung Disease
- VIII.18 Bleeding Disorders
- VIII.19 Botulism
- VIII.20 Brucellosis
- VIII.21 Bubonic Plague
- VIII.22 Carrión’s Disease
- VIII.23 Catarrh
- VIII.24 Cestode Infections
- VIII.25 Chagas’ Disease
- VIII.26 Chlorosis
- VIII.27 Cholera
- VIII.28 Cirrhosis
- VIII.29 Clonorchiasis
- VIII.30 Croup
- VIII.31 Cystic Fibrosis
- VIII.32 Cytomegalovirus Infection
- VIII.33 Dengue
- VIII.34 Diabetes
- VIII.35 Diarrheal Diseases (Acute)
- VIII.36 Diphtheria
- VIII.37 Down Syndrome
- VIII.38 Dracunculiasis
- VIII.39 Dropsy
- VIII.40 Dysentery
- VIII.41 Dyspepsia
- VIII.42 Ebola Virus Disease
- VIII.43 Echinococcosis (Hydatidosis)
- VIII.44 Eclampsia
- VIII.45 Emphysema
- VIII.46 Encephalitis Lethargica
- VIII.47 Enterobiasis
- VIII.48 Epilepsy
- VIII.49 Ergotism
- VIII.50 Erysipelas
- VIII.51 Fascioliasis
- VIII.52 Fasciolopsiasis
- VIII.53 Favism
- VIII.54 Filariasis
- VIII.55 Fungus Infections (Mycoses)
- VIII.56 Fungus Poisoning
- VIII.57 Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)
- VIII.58 Gangrene
- VIII.59 Giardiasis
- VIII.60 Glomerulonephritis (Bright’s Disease)
- VIII.61 Goiter
- VIII.62 Gonorrhea
- VIII.63 Gout
- VIII.64 Herpes Simplex
- VIII.65 Herpesviruses
- VIII.66 Histoplasmosis
- VIII.67 Hookworm Disease
- VIII.68 Huntington’s Disease (Chorea)
- VIII.69 Hypertension
- VIII.70 Infectious Hepatitis
- VIII.71 Infectious Mononucleosis
- VIII.72 Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- VIII.73 Influenza
- VIII.74 Japanese B Encephalitis
- VIII.75 Lactose Intolerance and Malabsorption
- VIII.76 Lassa Fever
- VIII.77 Lead Poisoning
- VIII.78 Legionnaires’ Disease
- VIII.79 Leishmaniasis
- VIII.80 Leprosy
- VIII.81 Leptospirosis
- VIII.82 Leukemia
- VIII.83 Lupus Erythematosus
- VIII.84 Lyme Borreliosis (Lyme Disease)
- VIII.85 Malaria
- VIII.86 Marburg Virus Disease
- VIII.87 Mastoiditis
- VIII.88 Measles
- VIII.89 Meningitis
- VIII.90 Milk Sickness (Tremetol Poisoning)
- VIII.91 Multiple Sclerosis
- VIII.92 Mumps
- VIII.93 Muscular Dystrophy
- VIII.94 Myasthenia Gravis
- VIII.95 Nematode Infections
- VIII.96 Onchocerciasis
- VIII.97 Ophthalmia (Conjunctivitis and Trachoma)
- VIII.98 Osteoarthritis
- VIII.99 Osteoporosis
- VIII.100 Paget’s Disease of Bone
- VIII.101 Paragonimiasis
- VIII.102 Parkinson’s Disease
- VIII.103 Pellagra
- VIII.104 Periodontal Disease (Pyorrhea)
- VIII.105 Pica
- VIII.106 Pinta
- VIII.107 Plague of Athens
- VIII.108 Pneumocystis Pneumonia (Interstitial Plasma Cell Pneumonia, Pneumocystosis)
- VIII.109 Pneumonia
- VIII.110 Poliomyelitis
- VIII.111 Protein-Energy Malnutrition
- VIII.112 Protozoan Infections
- VIII.113 Puerperal Fever
- VIII.114 Q Fever
- VIII.115 Rabies
- VIII.116 Relapsing Fever
- VIII.117 Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease
- VIII.118 Rickets and Osteomalacia
- VIII.119 Rickettsial Diseases
- VIII.120 Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the Spotted Fever Group Diseases
- VIII.121 Rubella
- VIII.122 St. Anthony’s Fire
- VIII.123 Scarlet Fever
- VIII.124 Schistosomiasis
- VIII.125 Scrofula (Scrophula)
- VIII.126 Scurvy
- VIII.127 Sickle-Cell Anemia
- VIII.128 Smallpox
- VIII.129 Streptococcal Diseases
- VIII.130 Strongyloidiasis
- VIII.131 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- VIII.132 Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (Asian)
- VIII.133 Sweating Sickness
- VIII.134 Syphilis
- VIII.135 Syphilis, Nonvenereal
- VIII.136 Tapeworm
- VIII.137 Tay-Sachs Disease
- VIII.138 Tetanus
- VIII.139 Tetanus, Neonatal
- VIII.140 Tetany
- VIII.141 Toxoplasmosis
- VIII.142 Trematode Infections
- VIII.143 Trench Fever
- VIII.144 The Treponematoses
- VIII.145 Trichinosis
- VIII.146 Trichuriasis
- VIII.147 Tuberculosis
- VIII.148 Tularemia
- VIII.149 Typhoid Fever
- VIII.150 Typhomalarial Fever
- VIII.151 Typhus, Epidemic
- VIII.152 Typhus, Murine
- VIII.153 Typhus, Scrub (Tsutsugamushi)
- VIII.154 Urolithiasis (Renal and Urinary Bladder Stone Disease)
- VIII.155 Varicella Zoster
- VIII.156 Whooping Cough
- VIII.157 Yaws
- VIII.158 Yellow Fever
- Indexes
- References
VIII.155 - Varicella Zoster
from Part VIII - Major Human Diseases Past and Present
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
Edited by
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Medicine and Disease: An Overview
- Part II Changing Concepts of Health and Disease
- Part III Medical Specialties and Disease Prevention
- Part IV Measuring Health
- Part V The History of Human Disease in the World Outside Asia
- Part VI The History of Human Disease in Asia
- Part VII The Geography of Human Disease
- Part VIII Major Human Diseases Past and Present
- VIII.1 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- VIII.2 African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)
- VIII.3 Ainhum
- VIII.4 Alzheimer’s Disease
- VIII.5 Amebic Dysentery
- VIII.6 Anemia
- VIII.7 Anorexia Nervosa
- VIII.8 Anthrax
- VIII.9 Apoplexy and Stroke
- VIII.10 Arboviruses
- VIII.11 Arenaviruses
- VIII.12 Arthritis (Rheumatoid)
- VIII.13 Ascariasis
- VIII.14 Bacillary Dysentery
- VIII.15 Beriberi
- VIII.16 Black Death
- VIII.17 Black and Brown Lung Disease
- VIII.18 Bleeding Disorders
- VIII.19 Botulism
- VIII.20 Brucellosis
- VIII.21 Bubonic Plague
- VIII.22 Carrión’s Disease
- VIII.23 Catarrh
- VIII.24 Cestode Infections
- VIII.25 Chagas’ Disease
- VIII.26 Chlorosis
- VIII.27 Cholera
- VIII.28 Cirrhosis
- VIII.29 Clonorchiasis
- VIII.30 Croup
- VIII.31 Cystic Fibrosis
- VIII.32 Cytomegalovirus Infection
- VIII.33 Dengue
- VIII.34 Diabetes
- VIII.35 Diarrheal Diseases (Acute)
- VIII.36 Diphtheria
- VIII.37 Down Syndrome
- VIII.38 Dracunculiasis
- VIII.39 Dropsy
- VIII.40 Dysentery
- VIII.41 Dyspepsia
- VIII.42 Ebola Virus Disease
- VIII.43 Echinococcosis (Hydatidosis)
- VIII.44 Eclampsia
- VIII.45 Emphysema
- VIII.46 Encephalitis Lethargica
- VIII.47 Enterobiasis
- VIII.48 Epilepsy
- VIII.49 Ergotism
- VIII.50 Erysipelas
- VIII.51 Fascioliasis
- VIII.52 Fasciolopsiasis
- VIII.53 Favism
- VIII.54 Filariasis
- VIII.55 Fungus Infections (Mycoses)
- VIII.56 Fungus Poisoning
- VIII.57 Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)
- VIII.58 Gangrene
- VIII.59 Giardiasis
- VIII.60 Glomerulonephritis (Bright’s Disease)
- VIII.61 Goiter
- VIII.62 Gonorrhea
- VIII.63 Gout
- VIII.64 Herpes Simplex
- VIII.65 Herpesviruses
- VIII.66 Histoplasmosis
- VIII.67 Hookworm Disease
- VIII.68 Huntington’s Disease (Chorea)
- VIII.69 Hypertension
- VIII.70 Infectious Hepatitis
- VIII.71 Infectious Mononucleosis
- VIII.72 Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- VIII.73 Influenza
- VIII.74 Japanese B Encephalitis
- VIII.75 Lactose Intolerance and Malabsorption
- VIII.76 Lassa Fever
- VIII.77 Lead Poisoning
- VIII.78 Legionnaires’ Disease
- VIII.79 Leishmaniasis
- VIII.80 Leprosy
- VIII.81 Leptospirosis
- VIII.82 Leukemia
- VIII.83 Lupus Erythematosus
- VIII.84 Lyme Borreliosis (Lyme Disease)
- VIII.85 Malaria
- VIII.86 Marburg Virus Disease
- VIII.87 Mastoiditis
- VIII.88 Measles
- VIII.89 Meningitis
- VIII.90 Milk Sickness (Tremetol Poisoning)
- VIII.91 Multiple Sclerosis
- VIII.92 Mumps
- VIII.93 Muscular Dystrophy
- VIII.94 Myasthenia Gravis
- VIII.95 Nematode Infections
- VIII.96 Onchocerciasis
- VIII.97 Ophthalmia (Conjunctivitis and Trachoma)
- VIII.98 Osteoarthritis
- VIII.99 Osteoporosis
- VIII.100 Paget’s Disease of Bone
- VIII.101 Paragonimiasis
- VIII.102 Parkinson’s Disease
- VIII.103 Pellagra
- VIII.104 Periodontal Disease (Pyorrhea)
- VIII.105 Pica
- VIII.106 Pinta
- VIII.107 Plague of Athens
- VIII.108 Pneumocystis Pneumonia (Interstitial Plasma Cell Pneumonia, Pneumocystosis)
- VIII.109 Pneumonia
- VIII.110 Poliomyelitis
- VIII.111 Protein-Energy Malnutrition
- VIII.112 Protozoan Infections
- VIII.113 Puerperal Fever
- VIII.114 Q Fever
- VIII.115 Rabies
- VIII.116 Relapsing Fever
- VIII.117 Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease
- VIII.118 Rickets and Osteomalacia
- VIII.119 Rickettsial Diseases
- VIII.120 Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the Spotted Fever Group Diseases
- VIII.121 Rubella
- VIII.122 St. Anthony’s Fire
- VIII.123 Scarlet Fever
- VIII.124 Schistosomiasis
- VIII.125 Scrofula (Scrophula)
- VIII.126 Scurvy
- VIII.127 Sickle-Cell Anemia
- VIII.128 Smallpox
- VIII.129 Streptococcal Diseases
- VIII.130 Strongyloidiasis
- VIII.131 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- VIII.132 Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (Asian)
- VIII.133 Sweating Sickness
- VIII.134 Syphilis
- VIII.135 Syphilis, Nonvenereal
- VIII.136 Tapeworm
- VIII.137 Tay-Sachs Disease
- VIII.138 Tetanus
- VIII.139 Tetanus, Neonatal
- VIII.140 Tetany
- VIII.141 Toxoplasmosis
- VIII.142 Trematode Infections
- VIII.143 Trench Fever
- VIII.144 The Treponematoses
- VIII.145 Trichinosis
- VIII.146 Trichuriasis
- VIII.147 Tuberculosis
- VIII.148 Tularemia
- VIII.149 Typhoid Fever
- VIII.150 Typhomalarial Fever
- VIII.151 Typhus, Epidemic
- VIII.152 Typhus, Murine
- VIII.153 Typhus, Scrub (Tsutsugamushi)
- VIII.154 Urolithiasis (Renal and Urinary Bladder Stone Disease)
- VIII.155 Varicella Zoster
- VIII.156 Whooping Cough
- VIII.157 Yaws
- VIII.158 Yellow Fever
- Indexes
- References
Summary
Varicella (chickenpox) is an acute infection of short duration caused by Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV), which is spread in the early stages of disease by droplets of secretions from the nasopharynx. It is followed by lifetime latency that may be broken in occasional patients by reactivation of virus in sensory ganglia manifested as herpes zoster (shingles).
Epidemiology and Incidence
Chickenpox is endemic worldwide, is highly communicable, and commonly appears as epidemics among children who are usually attacked between 2 and 8 years of age. (Infants are protected by transplacental maternal antibodies.) Few escape infection until adult life, and these usually live in isolated rural communities. Probably most of those who have seemed to escape the disease had subclinical infections. (The annual Report of Morbidity and Mortality in the United States shows, for 1984, 221,983 cases of varicella reported from 33 states, an incidence of 138 cases per 100,000 population. The age was known in 28 percent; 56 percent of these cases appeared in the 5- to 9-year age group, less than 6 percent were 15 years of age or older.)
The sporadic reactivation of the virus as shingles is unrelated to exposure to exogenous infection and, in general, is uncommon even in populations in which practically all have had chickenpox. Its peak incidence is after age 50. Of those who develop shingles, only 1 percent have two attacks. Patients with impaired cellular immunity are at risk, and herpes zoster is not uncommon in those suffering from malignant disease.
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- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge World History of Human Disease , pp. 1092 - 1094Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993
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