How accurate this is, I don’t know, but I’m passing it on in case others are aware of anything similar. I got a mysterious rash the other day, but it wasn’t shingles, thankfully. From Lee Chin:

"Several persons, including my husband are experiencing a new viral SHINGLES OUTBREAK. Unlike the originating childhood chicken pox virus that often emergies in older years, this virus is now including persons in their early 20’s.  Our local Safeway store is now making vaccine shots (?) available.  This new virus  appears on one side of the body and begins with an elevated blood pressure, a burning and under the skin itching for a week or two, prior to the obvious emerging red spots. Medications include prescription  anti-biotics, keeping the body warm and dry, and covering the spots with clean dry gauve.  DO NOT scratch or break the skin on these spots.  Wash hands with clorox prior to touching other body parts."

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5 Comments

  1. Hm…I had shingles about 3
    Hm…I had shingles about 3 yrs ago ( when I was about 38yrs). I was surprised to have so many friends tell ma they’d had it too over the last several years given it is supposed to be “an older person’s disease”. I was told it was probably stress-induced (meaning the virus re-surfaced from the effects of stress on the body).

  2. From a communicable disease
    From a communicable disease standpoint, the real danger of shingles is the transmission of varicella to people who have never had chicken pox (or been immunized against varicella). There have been case reports of nursing home residents who’ve contracted chicken pox through aerosolized exposure to someone else’s shingles rash. It’s only the reactivation of the chicken pox virus, years later, that results in shingles. But in my experience, this sort of transmission is pretty rare. But, truth be told, I’ve seen a few younger people with shingles in the past year.

  3. I had a case of the shingles
    I had a case of the shingles when in my mid-twenties. I, too, was told that it was probably stress-induced.

  4. Shingles is a re-emergence of
    Shingles is a re-emergence of Chicken Pox due to a decline in the immune system. The outbreak can be spread to others if they touch the sores. But only if they have no or poor immunity to the Chicken Pox Virus, which is a herpes type virus.

  5. I happen to work in public
    I happen to work in public health. There is a shingles vaccine, but it is only recommended for people 60 and older. People under the age of 60 can only get the vaccine off-label. In other words, it must be prescribed by a doctor who is not following the recommendations. It is legal.

    As for younger people getting shingles, approximately 50 percent of the population that experience outbreaks are under 60 years old. What I find compelling is that I received a call just yesterday from a school nurse in our area who says she is seeing more shingles in children and I passed this information on to our epidemiologist for follow-up.

    I would love more information on the outbreak in Seattle with details to pass on to our epidemiologist here. There are so many factors that could be involved. Lee, if you have a resource in Seattle that is non-anecdotal, please let me know. (For instance, is the media covering this? Is the local health department involved?)

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