“One type of serological test for this infection (applied for diagnosis and surveillance) remains positive for the rest of your life, even after successful treatment. But this does not mean that the person will be protected for the rest of his life by antibodies,” explains infectious disease specialist Carolina Lazzari.
Chicken pox (varicella)
Also known as chickenpox, it is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Most people get it only once in their lives, usually in childhood, after which the immune system develops a defensive memory against the virus, which remains silent in the body. However, in situations of stress, immunosuppression or aging, it can “wake up”.
“This reactivation causes a disease known as ‘shingles’, which is actually herpes zoster,” explains Janina Teixeira, infectious disease specialist and professor at Centro Universitário Uniptan-Afya (MG).
But unlike the first manifestation, in which chickenpox spreads throughout the body, in the following manifestation, the lesions caused by the reactivated virus, which are very similar, tend to be concentrated in specific areas, following the course of a nerve.
“Now, getting the classic form of chickenpox more than once is much rarer, unless you have a serious immune problem, due to, for example, chemotherapy, organ transplant, HIV“, adds Rosanna Rechtman, who is also Head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Grupo Santa Juana.
