Talk:Varicella zoster virus

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Contents

[edit] HHV-3

It's also called HHV-3. New nomenclature? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 149.156.56.228 (talk) 12:29, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] it

it will kill your dog

Not necessarily. JFW | T@lk 21:14, 13 Dec 2004 (UTC)

What is "125,000 nt"? Typo for nm?

"nt" is an abbreviation for "nucleotides", though VZV is a dsDNA virus so it should more correctly be expressed as "bp" (base pairs)... Techelf 03:59, 14 Jan 2005 (UTC)

[edit] immunity for life...?

You have to wonder though, if the wild virus produced immunity for life, why did anyone get SHingles? And they did, although it is more common now in ENgland, where we do not routinely immunise, than it used to be. I think the article may have been a bit too definite and simple on that topic.Midgley 23:09, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I think it means that it makes the person immune to primary varicella infection, i.e. chickenpox. Shingles is a different manifestation, and usually much more localized---someone who has had chickenpox can get shingles (and in fact it's a prerequisite), but someone who has had chickenpox almost never gets chickenpox again. --Delirium 22:40, 7 February 2006 (UTC)
I think it is getting more common to have a second attack of Chickenpox, in England. I can't find figures though. If the story about top-ups of immunity from exposure to spotty children is true then it would be expected to be more common as chickenpox incidence decreases in other countries as well. Midgley 01:12, 24 February 2006 (UTC)
The thing about the VZ virus is that after its primary manifestation as Varicella, or chickenpox, it frequently takes up a subclinical, latent infection in the dorsal nerve ganglia. After the cell-mediated immunity granted by the primary infection wears off and the T-cells lose the ability to recognize and eradicate the virions (this usually takes a long time, but there are exceptions) the Zoster part of the virus can manifest itself as Herpes Zoster, or Shingles. Lifetime immunity is never guaranteed, unfortunately. There have been cases of secondary chickenpox breaking out after prolonged exposure to the virus or due to immunocompromisation.

[edit] vaccine failure

I wish I could add this to the article, but I have no sources, just my own observation:

The vaccine is a failure.

I know of at least 3 families who's children got the vaccine, but got chicken pox anyway (and at young ages, not 10 to 20 years later). The article claims that 'breakthrough infections' are mild, but that is not what I saw.

I fully expect it to be withdrawn from the market in the next 5 years. Either that, or they will recommend boosters every 7 years. (Which I guess will make the manufacturer happy.)

Certainly adults who have no contact with children with chicken pox should get boosters, and I expect this to be the recommendation. And I think that's a mistake in policy to depend on repeated vaccines when the illness itself is as mild as it is.

Ariel. 12:58, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Article cluster

For the record, the current article cluster relating to varicella zoster virus is:

Discussions of this cluster include:

--Una Smith (talk) 20:29, 29 March 2008 (UTC)