HERPES ZOSTER: UNA MALATTIA LA CUI LUNGA STORIA NON SI È ANCORA CONCLUSA

Herpes Zoster, a disease imposing large economic and social costs, is caused by a DNA virus, human herpesvirus 3, belonging to the Herpesvirales order, Herpesviridae family. It is widespread throughout the world, with a frequency of 120-350 cases per 100,000 persons/year. Herpes Zoster is a disease with multiple names and multiple faces, which over the millennia has been mistaken for the plague, typhoid, anthrax, erysipelas, syphilis, gangrene, leprosy, and also for intoxication by rye. They are just some of the avatars, as said by Ernest Wickersheimer, that this disease has taken over time. This manuscript will investigate the cultural representation of this disease throughout history.