Final answer:
A person with no prior exposure to the varicella-zoster virus could develop chickenpox from close contact with someone who has shingles, as they are caused by the same virus, with chickenpox being the initial infection.
Step-by-step explanation:
A person who has never been in contact with the varicella-zoster virus would be at risk of developing chickenpox, not shingles, if they come into close contact with a person with shingles. This is because shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus, the varicella-zoster virus. The virus can spread from a person with shingles to someone who has never had chickenpox, leading to chickenpox in the newly infected individual. The first infection with this virus results in chickenpox. After overcoming chickenpox, the virus goes into a dormant state within the nerve-cell ganglia and may reactivate many years later as shingles.
Chickenpox is typically a mild and self-limiting disease in children but can be more severe in adults, leading to complications such as pneumonia. Shingles, on the other hand, emerges from the dormancy within nerve cells, causing a painful localized rash. The risk of transmission is particularly relevant when direct contact with the lesions or inhalation of material from the skin lesions occurs.