I'm just curious. I know that you can't "catch" shingles from another person. If I understand correctly, you can "catch" the herpes zoster virus from a person with active shingles IF you've NOT had chicken pox (or had them as a small baby). Even then, you wouldn't get shingles; you'd get chicken pox.

What puzzles me is that in our tiny Bible study group of maybe a dozen people, THREE ladies currently have active shingles. I know they aren't "catching" it from each other. Is this just a coincidence? Do shingles crop up in certain weather conditions? Inquiring minds want to know.

I found this

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weekl...5_shingles.htm

It says you can catch Chicken Pox virus from someone who has shingles, but you cannot catch Shingles. you get shingles from YOUR OWN virus left behind by the chicken pox.

I hope that helps.

Shingles activates in the spring, commonly.

Hubby and I are having pain issues this week in fact from our past shingles...yes the pain may return, without the vesicles.

We are both using L-lysine to moderate this spring.

Increased arginine in the diet compared to lysine intake will also stimulate shingles virus replication.

Here is a list of foods with arginine/lysine listed:

http://www.herpes.com/Nutrition.shtml

In the nursing home population we often see patients given high arginine treatments like Arginaid (for healing bed sores) develop shingles later.

High arginine with lower lysine consumption may stimulate viral replication of Herpes virsu.