What are the two distinct diseases caused by the varicella zoster virus?

• A. Varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (shingles)
• B. Measles and mumps
• C. Varicella and herpes simplex
• D. Rubella and roseola

Answer: (A)

Varicella zoster virus causes two distinct illnesses. The first is varicella, or chickenpox, which is usually the primary infection in children and presents with widespread, pruritic vesicular rashes often in various stages, along with fever. After recovery, the virus remains latent in nerve ganglia. It can reactivate later in life as herpes zoster, or shingles, which is a painful, localized vesicular eruption that follows a dermatomal distribution and is often accompanied by neuralgia. This pattern of a primary chickenpox infection followed by potential reactivation as shingles explains why those two diseases are the correct pairing. Other options involve entirely different viruses or disease processes.