By CINDY LADAGE

Illinois Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — While farmers get ready for spring planting, farm safety comes to mind – but one of the overlooked items not on their health list may be getting the shingles virus.

Anyone who has had chicken pox can get shingles so it is important to be vaccinated against this virus that attacks when the immune system deteriorates, as the protection it provides lessens with age. Three million Americans are afflicted with shingles each year.

Chicken pox was identified in Italy by Giovanni Filippo in the 1500s. The label “chicken pox” came from Richard Morton, an English scientist. He misinterpreted it for a milder form of smallpox, although they are not related. Another reason he named it chicken pox was because it makes the skin look like a plucked chicken’s.

While a person cannot get the chicken pox more than once, they can contract shingles. Dr. Janak Koirala of Southern Illinois University Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, explained once a person has had the disease, “The virus is still in the nerve endings, in the roots, also known as root ganglia, in the dormant form.

“It is controlled by the immune system, but as we age, our immune system becomes weaker. When we are not able to control it, the virus shows up as herpes zoster, better known as shingles.”

Approximately 32 percent of the general population is at risk of shingles, but this risk increases as we age and our immune system is compromised. “For those over 85, about 50 percent will get shingles. That is why we needed a vaccine,” Koirala said.

Shingles often occurs when the immune system is weakened. “Older people, those taking chemo, or with blood cancer or HIV or in stress are more likely to get shingles.”

Shingles occurs in a rash and blister form. He said the worry is that shingles may turn into postherpetic neuralgia, which is a complication of shingles. Postherpetic neuralgia affects nerve fibers and skin, causing burning pain that lasts long after the rash and blisters of shingles disappear.

Other worries include when the virus appears on the face and blisters get close to the eyes and ears. “It can cause blindness or hearing loss and meningitis in the brain,” Koirala said, adding this is rare.

For those who do develop shingles, it can be treated in the early stages with pills. Shingles is usually easily identifiable; according to the Mayo Clinic’s website, although shingles can occur anywhere on the body, it most often appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or the right side of one’s torso.

Symptoms may include burning, stabbing, or tingling pain, skin sensitivity, and itching. Koriala added, “You often get fever or chills; people get sick.”

Because shingles is a virus, it sheds until the blister scabs and the virus dies, so it can be transmitted from person to person. Because of this, he said care must be taken in contact: “Don’t share bedding or towels, et cetera.”

The new vaccine is called Shingrix and has shown to be 90 percent effective, which is a much better prospect than previous numbers. “The vaccine is highly effective with two shots,” Koirala said.

The first shot is given, followed by the booster and, if clinical trials are correct, no other shot will ever be needed – but only time will tell. The previous vaccine, Zostavax, was a live virus and not as effective. It had age restrictions and those who were immunocompromised could not have the vaccine because it was a live virus. Those are not issues for Shingrix.

The new vaccine works wonderfully, Koirala said; the only issue lately has been that many places have run out. “Go wherever you can find it,” was his advice, including checking with your primary care provider and local pharmacies.

If you are over 50 it is advised that you get the Shingrix virus. The most common side effect is a sore arm.

Before spring planting starts in earnest and farmers don’t have time to get the first round of the vaccine, they may want to consider checking it out. For questions about shingles or the vaccine, Koirala suggests farmers call their primary care physicians.