Is the herpes zoster virus contagious?

Sep 02, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Liu Wenmin
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, the herpes zoster virus is contagious. If discomfort symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek timely medical treatment at a正规 hospital. Patients should keep their skin clean and avoid contact between the fluid from ruptured blisters and others;尽量减少外出 until the blisters have formed scabs, and especially avoid contact with infants, pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

Under normal circumstances, the herpes zoster virus is contagious. If discomfort symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek timely medical treatment at a regular hospital. Detailed analysis is as follows:

The herpes zoster virus is contagious and mainly spreads through direct contact with the skin blister fluid of infected individuals, although it can also spread via respiratory droplets. The contagiousness is particularly strong before the blisters have crusted over. Individuals who have never been infected with the varicella-zoster virus may develop chickenpox after exposure, while in those previously infected, the virus remains dormant in the sensory ganglia and may reactivate when immunity decreases, causing herpes zoster. Most adults have been infected with the varicella-zoster virus; therefore, people around patients with herpes zoster should take precautions and avoid close contact.

Patients should maintain clean skin and avoid allowing blister fluids to come into contact with others after rupture. Before the blisters have crusted over, going outdoors should be minimized, especially avoiding contact with infants, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals who have not received the chickenpox vaccine may consider vaccination after consulting a physician to reduce the risk of infection. Maintaining regular作息 patterns and a balanced diet in daily life can enhance personal immunity and reduce the likelihood of viral reactivation or infection.

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Can herpes viruses be completely cured?
In general, whether herpes virus infection can be completely cured depends on the type. Currently, infections caused by herpes simplex virus and varicella-zoster virus cannot be completely eradicated. However, the initial varicella symptoms caused by varicella-zoster virus can be fully resolved. After recovery, the virus remains latent in the body rather than being cleared. In daily life, maintaining regular作息 (作息 should be translated as作息 (作息 should be translated as作息 (作息 should be translated as作息 (作息 should be translated as "作息" is missing translation. Please clarify. However, based on context, it likely refers to "作息" =作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息......
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Dr. Yang Ziqi
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