Ellen:  Herpes zoster (shingles) lesions contain the varicella-zoster
virus.  Once a person has had chicken pox, the virus can remain dormant
in the body and come out to the skin as zoster, but if someone who never
had chicken pox contacts zoster blisters, they get chicken pox, not
zoster.  Zoster is less contagious than chicken pox.  You don't have to
touch the blisters of someone with chicken pox (just being in the same
room might do the trick), but usually if someone's zoster lesions are
covered, others don't get chicken pox.  Hope that helps.  Alicia.
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