Shingles not infectious, caused by witchcraft –doctors

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante on Tuesday debunked several misconceptions about shingles, saying that it could not spread from one person to another.

In an awareness campaign event, Solante explained that people aged 50 years old and above were usually at risk of contracting shingles due to the reactivation of the Varicella-Zoster Virus because of a declining immune system.

This virus is the same virus that causes chickenpox, meaning those who had chickenpox before may develop shingles and can reactivate years later.

“It is a very intelligent virus because it hides in our central nervous system… it goes there for a longer period of years. There is a particular vulnerability that that virus will reactivate once our immune system goes down,” Solante said.

The infectious diseases expert, however, clarified that while chickenpox was contagious, shingles was not. Patients who have shingles and also suffer from pneumonia and other viral infections may be the ones who could infect other people, thus they need to be isolated.

“It’s not infectious. Shingles is coming from the chickenpox. If you have the shingles now, you just can’t infect anybody near you because the reason for that is it may be transmitted in droplets but it cannot survive much more in our mucosal because it’s just a virus,” Solante added.

Meanwhile, dermatologist Dr. Gaile Robredo-Vitas said shingles usually starts with a sharp pain and develops into a red rash that turns into fluid-filled blisters. It also only affects one side of the body and does not spread to other parts.

She also clarified that shingles were not caused by “kulam” or witchcraft.

She also debunked a claim that you can get shingles via a body massage.

“They never think about shingles. It’s not a first-in-mind kind of thing. It’s usually either an allergic reaction or an irritation,” Vitas said.

To prevent acquiring shingles, Solante encouraged people to get vaccinated. He also underscored the importance of getting enough sleep and avoiding stress.

He also said that shingles can have long-lasting complications such as Post-Herpetic Neuralgia, Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Bell’s palsy, and even cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. — DVM, GMA Integrated News