Varicella zoster virus Varicella zoster virus Varicella zoster virus or varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is one of eight herpesviruses known to infect humans. It causes chickenpox (varicella), a disease most commonly affecting children, teens, and young adults, and shingles (herpes zoster) in adults; shingles is rare in children. VZV is a worldwide pathogen known by many names: chickenpox virus, varicella virus, zoster virus, and human herpesvirus type 3 (HHV-3). VZV infections are species-specific to humans, but can survive in external environments for a few hours, maybe a day or two. VZV multiplies in the lungs, and causes a wide variety of symptoms. After the
Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP), in Washington, DC and New Delhi, provides technical support to each working group, creates links within the GARP network and involves the working groups in global discussions and policy development. GARP is a CDDEP project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm) is an innovative financing mechanism designed to expand access to the most effective treatment for malaria, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) through the public, private and NGO sectors. It will reduce the use of drugs that no longer work because of drug resistance,