A herpesvirus, morphologically identical to herpes simplex virus, that causes varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster in man; varicella results from a primary infection with the virus; herpes zoster results from secondary invasion by the same virus or by reactivation of infection which in many instances has been latent for many years.
Synonym: chickenpox virus, herpes zoster virus, human herpesvirus 3.
(05 Mar 2000)