BOLZANO. “Every year, throughout Italy, about 150,000 people get Herpes Zoster. Even here in South Tyrol one in four will sooner or later get sick. “He says this Giuliano PiccolioriScientific director of the Institute of General Medicine and “Public Health” of Bolzano who invites people at risk to vaccinate themselves against this infection better known with the name of “St. Anthony’s Fire”.
“From my particular observatory as a family doctor – adds Piccoliori – I also noticed a greater severity of the manifestations of the St. Anthony’s Fire, especially his most feared consequence, the so-called postherpetic neuralgiaa pain similar to that caused by fire, sometimes aching, due to the inflammation of the nerve affected by the reactivation of the varicella virus “.
In almost a quarter of cases this type of pain occurs: it can last from a few weeks to months, sometimes even years, if not a lifetime. “Herpes Zoster – explains the doctor – is caused by the ‘awakening’ of the chickenpox virus that for years, decades and sometimes even for a lifetime takes refuge in the nerve ganglia without showing signs of itself. “People who have already had chickenpox are, therefore, potentially at risk.
The most obvious symptom of Zoster is the appearance of skin lesions in the shape of bubbles that cause itching. One of the distinguishing features of the Zoster rash is that it affects only one half of the body.
The people most at risk are, in the first place, those who have a weakened immune system due to other pathologies and, later, diabetics and the elderly. “There is more than enough scientific evidence – adds Piccoliori – to affirm that Zoster occurs more frequently in those who have recently been affected by Covid-19”. In addition to the specific vaccine, the only possible form of prevention of shingles is, from an early age, the chickenpox vaccine that has become mandatory for some years.
Vaccinations against St. Anthony’s Fire are carried out at the health services of the health districts of the Province of Bolzano and, but only for the live attenuated vaccine, by the district hygienists. Vaccination against Herpes Zoster can reduce cases of postherpetic neuralgia by about 65% and about 50% of all clinical cases of Zoster. Vaccinations are offered free of charge to people at increased risk and over the age of 64 according to the 2017-2019 National Vaccination Prevention Plan.