Final answer:
The varicella zoster virus, confirmed through laboratory results, causes skin infections like chickenpox and shingles, not a parasitic infection. Chickenpox is usually a childhood illness marked by skin blisters, whereas shingles can occur in adulthood as a painful localized rash due to the reactivation of the dormant virus.
Step-by-step explanation:
A medical assistant who is reviewing laboratory results that confirm a patient has the varicella zoster virus should identify that this micro-organism causes a skin infection, not a parasitic infection. Specifically, the varicella zoster virus is the causative agent responsible for two distinct conditions: chickenpox and shingles. Chickenpox is typically a childhood disease distinguished by a rash of blisters covering the skin, while shingles can occur later in life, presenting as a painful localized rash. The development of chickenpox follows the initial exposure to the virus, whereas shingles only appears after the virus, which is dormant in the nerve cell ganglia, gets reactivated often due to stress, aging, or immunosuppression.
As a member of the herpesvirus family, the varicella zoster virus has a double-stranded DNA genome, and after infection, it can become dormant in nerve cells. When dormant, the virus does not actively replicate or damage nerve cells but can be reactivated leading to shingles, which is characterized by painful skin lesions and can lead to complications such as postherpetic neuralgia. An important aspect to note is the systemic nature of the varicella zoster virus infection, as it can spread throughout the body during the chickenpox phase, contrasting with the more localized impact of shingles.