Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). This virus belongs to the herpes family, the same group responsible for shingles (a painful skin condition that occurs later in life). Once someone has had chickenpox, the virus remains inactive in their body and can reactivate years later as shingles.
Before vaccines were widely used, chickenpox was extremely common in children, with nearly every child getting infected by the age of 10. Today, vaccination has greatly reduced the number of cases.
