Virus
Varicella-zoster virus
Herpesvirus with latency/reactivation clue
vair-ih-SEL-uh ZOS-ter
High-yield clue
Primary varicella vocabulary + shingles/reactivation vocabulary.
Overview
A herpesvirus used to teach primary infection versus reactivation vocabulary and dorsal-root ganglion latency.
Classification
- Enveloped virus
- Double-stranded DNA
- Herpesvirus
Lab & identification clues
- PCR vocabulary
- Vesicular rash clue in coursework
- Latency/reactivation concept
Associations
- Chickenpox vocabulary
- Shingles vocabulary
- Vaccine concept
Commonly confused with
- Herpes simplex virus
- Enteroviruses
Your notes
Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.