Immunosuppressed Individuals

Shingles is a serious threat to immunosuppressed individuals, such as those with HIV or those who are receiving certain treatments that destroy cancerous tissue but also have the potential to damage cells that normally fight invading organisms. Patients who receive organ transplants and take drugs to suppress the immune system to prevent the body from rejecting the foreign tissue of the transplant are also vulnerable to shingles.

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Should any of these patients contract shingles, there is a possibility that the zoster virus will spread throughout the body, reaching vital organs like the lungs. If unchecked, such disseminated zoster can lead to death from viral pneumonia or a secondary bacterial infection.