Question

Bob is a 62-year-old male who had chicken pox as a child. This increases his risk for the virus to reoccur in the form of ________.

1) Shingles
2) Measles
3) Mumps
4) Rubella

Answer 1

Bob's risk for the virus to reoccur in the form of shingles is due to prior chickenpox infection. Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that remains latent in the body after the initial chickenpox infection. The correct option is 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

Bob, being a 62-year-old male who had chickenpox as a child, is at a higher risk for the virus to reoccur in the form of shingles. Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which after the initial infection lays dormant in the body. Later in life, this virus can reactivate, particularly when the immune system is weakened, leading to shingles, which typically presents as a painful, localized rash on one side of the body.

The risk of developing shingles increases with age, which is why Bob's age puts him at a higher risk. Unlike chickenpox, shingles is not a new infection but a reactivation of the virus that has remained in the body in a latent state. It's important to note that shingles is different from other viral infections like measles, mumps, and rubella, as these are caused by different viruses and do not result from the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus.