herpes varicella zoster virus
- noun
- /ˈhɜrpiːz ˌværɪˈsɛlə ˈzɔstər ˈvaɪrəs/
- Specialized
:
virus varicela zóster
- The herpes varicella zoster virus is responsible for both chickenpox in children and shingles in adults.
Examples
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After recovering from chickenpox, the herpes varicella zoster virus can remain dormant in the body for years.
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The herpes varicella zoster virus can reactivate in adults, leading to shingles.
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Doctors confirmed that her painful rash was caused by the herpes varicella zoster virus.
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The herpes varicella zoster virus causes chickenpox in children.
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Many adults carry the herpes varicella zoster virus without symptoms.
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Vaccines can help protect against the herpes varicella zoster virus, reducing the risk of chickenpox.
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Infection with the herpes varicella zoster virus typically results in a red, itchy rash.
Synonyms
1
4.9
A germ that causes chickenpox and shingles in people
A virus that causes chickenpox and later shingles
A virus that causes the painful skin rash shingles
Surface Forms
Morphology
herpes + varicella + zoster + virus
The element 'virus' (and 'herpes' as a virus family) makes it clear that this is a pathogenic agent, so learners who know those words will grasp it denotes a type of virus. However, 'varicella' and 'zoster' are technical/Latin medical terms; a B1 learner who knows the separate words would not reliably infer the specific diseases (chickenpox and shingles) from them, so the overall meaning is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Herpes varicella zoster virus comes from older words that describe how it behaves: herpes means 'to creep' because the virus hides in the body, varicella points to 'chickenpox', and zoster means 'belt' because shingles often appears as a band on the skin. So the name tells us it is a virus that can cause 'chickenpox' and later 'shingles'.