July 10, 2012 Shingles Still More Common in People With HIV by
Tim Horn New cases of herpes zoster, better known as shingles,
appear to be on the decline among people living with HIV, but
rates are still higher than those seen in the general
population, according to Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine data published online ahead of print by the Journal of
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. The researchers, under the
direction of Leah Blank, MD, MPH, also noted that more than one-
quarter of all new shingles cases in their HIV cohort were
complicated, a “remarkable” finding in light of the young age of
the patient population. Shingles is caused by the varicella
zoster virus (VZV), best known for its ability to cause
chickenpox (varicella) in children. VZV isn’t cleared from the
body after a bout of chickenpox, but rather remains dormant in
nerve clusters near the spine. If cellular immunity to VZV
dwindles—which can happen in people living with HIV, advancing
in age or undergoing treatment that deple