Varicella zoster virus
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Varicella zoster virus
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USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
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First Aid
2024
2023
2022
2021
Crust (skin) p. 483
varicella zoster virus p. 487
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) p. 161, 483, 487
guanosine analogs p. 196
immunodeficient patients p. 116
meningitis p. 177
rash p. 178
Reye syndrome p. 397
vaccine p. 108
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Varicella zoster virus is one of the herpesviruses and it causes two diseases - varicella or chickenpox, and herpes zoster also known as shingles.
Zoster actually refers to a type of belt used by ancient Greek warriors because of the belt like appearance of shingles.
Now, let’s first talk a bit about the nervous system - it consists of two parts.
The central nervous system which includes the brain and the spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system includes the nerves that fan out from the central nervous system to reach the skin, muscles, and organs.
Peripheral nerves that originate from the brain are called cranial nerves, and they’re in charge of motor and sensory innervation of the head and neck.
A specific cranial nerve, cranial nerve V, is the trigeminal nerve and it’s responsible for the sensation in the face.
Its sensory neurons create a nerve cell cluster called trigeminal ganglion, located in the bones on the side of the face between the eyes and ears.
The peripheral nerves originating from the spinal cord are called the spinal nerves.
Each nerve is formed by a dorsal and a ventral root.
Ventral roots contains neurons that carry motor innervation from the spinal cord to the muscles.
Sensory information, like touch, temperature, pain, and pressure from the skin and other tissues travel through 1st order sensory neurons, in the dorsal root ganglion near the spinal cord, then through the dorsal root, and into the spinal cord, where it synapses with the 2nd order neurons.
Now, each spinal nerve is in charge of the sensation of a specific area of the skin, called a dermatome.
Summary
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a virus that causes two different diseases, chickenpox (varicella) and shingles (herpes zoster). Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease that primarily affects children, causing an itchy rash, fever, and other symptoms. The virus can be transmitted through direct contact with the rash, as well as through the air. Shingles is a painful condition that occurs when the virus reactivates later in life, usually in older adults or people with weakened immune systems. Shingles typically cause a painful rash, blisters, and other symptoms, and can sometimes lead to long-term nerve pain. The virus is spread through direct contact with the shingles rash. Vaccines are available to help prevent both chickenpox and shingles, and antiviral medications can be used to treat both conditions.
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