It is not a new or unusual disease. Shingles is linked directly to the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Many people only think of chickenpox as a childhood illness, but the story of the virus does not always end there.
After chickenpox goes away, the virus does not completely leave the body. Instead, it can remain inactive for many years, hidden in the nervous system without causing any symptoms or noticeable problems.
Later in life, or under certain conditions, the virus can become active again and reappear as shingles. That is why understanding its connection to past chickenpox infection is so important, especially as people get older and the risk becomes more common.
