Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1965 Jan;58(1):9-20.
doi: 10.1177/003591576505800106.

THE NATURE OF HERPES ZOSTER: A LONG-TERM STUDY AND A NEW HYPOTHESIS

R E HOPE-SIMPSON

THE NATURE OF HERPES ZOSTER: A LONG-TERM STUDY AND A NEW HYPOTHESIS

R E HOPE-SIMPSON. Proc R Soc Med. 1965 Jan.

Abstract

Dr Hope-Simpson presents a study of all cases of herpes zoster occurring in his general practice during a sixteen-year period. The rate was 3.4 per thousand per annum, rising with age, and the distribution of lesions reflected that of the varicella rash.It was found that severity increased with age, but that the condition did not occur in epidemics, and that there was no characteristic seasonal variation. A low prevalence of varicella was usually associated with a high incidence of zoster.Dr Hope-Simpson suggests that herpes zoster is a spontaneous manifestation of varicella infection. Following the primary infection (chickenpox), virus becomes latent in the sensory ganglia, where it can be reactivated from time to time (herpes zoster). Herpes zoster then represents an adaptation enabling varicella virus to survive for long periods, even without a continuous supply of persons susceptible to chickenpox.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Acta Med Scand. 1955 Feb 23;151(2):131-4 - PubMed
    1. J Am Med Assoc. 1959 Oct 17;171:876-80 - PubMed
    1. J Am Med Assoc. 1957 May 18;164(3):265-9 - PubMed
    1. Annu Rev Physiol. 1962;24:199-222 - PubMed
    1. Br Med J. 1958 Aug 16;2(5093):418-21 - PubMed