Herpes Zoster in the Workplace

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chalupka S
• Description:
  The varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes two distinct clinical conditions. The first, primary VZV infection (chickenpox), causes varicella that typically occurs among children. The second results when VZV reactivates decades after initial infection, causing herpes zoster (shingles). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one third of Americans will develop zoster in their lifetime, with approximately one million new cases annually. Although deaths attributable to zoster are rare, except among immunocompromised populations, zoster can have important implications in the workplace. Employees infected with zoster, including those with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a painful and debilitating condition lasting months or years, lose, on average, more than 129 hours of work per episode (CDC, 2008). [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Environmental Exposure Health Personnel Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Disease Control Disease Prevention Disease Transmission Exposure Levels Humans Infection Control Nursing Risk Factors Vaccines Work Environment Workers

  More +
• ISSN:
  0891-0162
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  56
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062043
• Citation:
  AAOHN J 2008 Sep; 56(9):404
• Contact Point Address:
  Stephanie Chalupka, Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  AAOHN Journal - American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Journal
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bd9bb183c09af1a35dd56ae455a7d841ad57192e3f4b0576070ed3ac852be1aeaacd9f98a8510a4e4d02f6ecd13aa19ad248067ee7d4aa46987acb790dcb5a1d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225365/cdc_225365_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 56.07 KB ]