How to Use varicella in a Sentence

varicella

noun
  • It's caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same one behind chicken pox.
    — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 26 Oct. 2017
  • Zostavax contains a weakened form of the live varicella-zoster virus.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Dec. 2025
  • Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, varicella zoster.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Dec. 2025
  • Chickenpox and shingles are caused by the same virus, the varicella zoster virus.
    — NBC News, 10 June 2019
  • Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox (varicella zoster virus).
    — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7 May 2018
  • Chickenpox and shingles are caused by the same virus, varicella zoster.
    — Julie Washington, cleveland, 15 Dec. 2019
  • Shingles is caused by the same varicella zoster virus that causes chickenpox.
    — Michelle Andrews, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2018
  • Among them are the shots that guard against HPV, varicella, and rotavirus.
    — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The latent varicella zoster virus lies dormant in the body after a person has chicken pox.
    — Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Merck also makes the measles-mumps-rubella-varicella shot.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The infection is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus behind chickenpox.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
  • One example is shingles, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus behind chickenpox.
    — Cassie Shortsleeve, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The varicella-zoster virus causes both chickenpox and shingles.
    — Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 28 June 2026
  • Shingles is a viral infection caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.
    — Korin Miller, SELF, 17 July 2017
  • For some viruses, such as the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox, immunity can last for decades.
    — Jill Neimark, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Nov. 2020
  • The varicella-zoster virus spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact with fluid from the blisters or by breathing in particles from them.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The varicella-zoster virus remains in the body long after chicken pox has passed and can later reactivate as shingles.
    — Ebony Williams, ajc, 11 June 2022
  • It is caused when the varicella zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox — stays dormant in the body and reactivates years later.
    — Erin Blakemore, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2017
  • Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.
    — Susan Scutti, CNN, 25 Oct. 2017
  • Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that causes chicken pox.
    — Ashley Milne-Tyte, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026
  • It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which stays in one’s body for the rest of their life after getting chickenpox and may activate years down the line as shingles.
    — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Shingles is a viral infection that’s caused by the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.
    — Korin Miller, SELF, 26 Oct. 2017
  • About 3 million had received the chickenpox, or varicella, vaccine, and about 3 million had not.
    — NBC News, 10 June 2019
  • It’s caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), which is the same virus that causes chickenpox, Nath said.
    — Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is caused by varicella zoster, the same virus that causes shingles and chickenpox.
    — Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 25 May 2023
  • Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which initially causes chickenpox but then lingers in the body, staying mostly dormant in nerve cells.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
  • However, if your child is not vaccinated yet, varicella will appear as a red bump that will progress over the course of few hours into a vesicle that will then dry and form a crust.
    — Gabriela Moraru, M.d., miamiherald, 1 May 2018
  • Coaches should also worry about varicella zoster virus (chicken pox), measles and mumps — all which can be prevented by vaccinations.
    — Raising Austin, ajc, 25 Sep. 2017
  • The varicella-zoster virus causes not just the itchy chickenpox rash but sometimes systemic infections, pneumonia and brain swelling.
    — Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The first was a patient with chickenpox or varicella encephalitis, a virus that causes brain inflammation.
    — Jonny Williams, The Providence Journal, 21 Jan. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'varicella.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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