This is what I found just now when I looked it up.
Can You Get Shingles If You Have Not Had Chicken Pox?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
No you can't. The virus that causes shingles is called varicella zoster. This is the virus that causes chickenpox. After having chickenpox, the varicella virus lies dormant in the spinal cord. If the virus reactivates in the spinal cord it causes shingles. This tends to occur in older people and arises as a result of stress or a lowered immunity.
However someone who has not had chickenpox can catch chickenpox from direct contact with the fluid from shingles blisters.
People who get shingles and don't remember having had chickenpox previously would have had a very mild case as a child wtih one or two spots. |