“One of the types of serology tests for this infection (applied for diagnosis and monitoring) remains positive for the rest of your life, even after successful treatment. But it does not mean that the person will be protected for the rest of their life by antibodies” , explains infectious disease specialist Carolina Lázari.
Chicken pox (varicella)
Also known as chickenpox, it is caused by the Varicella-zoster virus. Most people have it only once in their lives, usually in childhood, and then the immune system develops defense memory against the virus, which remains silent in the body. However, in situations of stress, immunosuppression or aging, it can “awaken”.
“This reactivation causes a disease known as “shingles”, which is actually herpes zoster”, explains Janaína 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 next, the lesions caused by its reactivated virus, which are very similar, tend to be concentrated in specific areas, following the path of a nerve.
“Now, having the classic form of chickenpox more than once is much rarer, unless you have a serious immunity problem, due, for example, to chemotherapy, organ transplants, HIV”, adds Rosana Richtmann, who He is also head of the infectology department at Grupo Santa Joana.
