Pathogens are organisms capable of causing disease in other organisms and are considered ubiquitous. They can be found in water, on surfaces and on or in humans, plants and animals. Different pathogens have different signs and symptoms, treatment options, modes of transmission, diagnosis and prognosis. Chickenpox, also known as chickenpox, and shingles are diseases caused by the same pathogen and have many of the same characteristics, but they are also unique in their own ways. Chickenpox is a virus caused by a herpesvirus called Varicella-Zoster virus, also known as VZV. Like all viruses, VZV is made up of two different parts, genetic material and a protein. The Varicella-Zoster virus, specifically, contains a protein core surrounded by DNA. It also has protein projections that span the DNA and that help the virus attach to a host cell (Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V., & Nunn, L., 1998). Normally, it starts by attaching to cells found in the nose or mouth. This is when the virus becomes active and begins to move to the skin cells, and that is when a rash will begin to appear (Plum, J., 2001). A person who has been infected with the disease may experience signs of fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and a red rash that appears patchy. Signs generally appear between ten and twenty-one days after the person has been exposed to and infected with the virus (Silverstein et al., 1998). This is what is known as the incubation period (Plum, J., 2001). The rash is most likely to start on the chest, back, or scalp, but will soon spread to the rest of the body. After a couple of days of having physical evidence of the infection, the rash will disappear... by mid-paper... and adults will have started getting vaccinated. As parents continue to vaccinate their children, there will also be fewer shingles outbreaks in future generations. Works CitedGlaser, J. (2006). Chickenpox. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.Plum, J. (2001). Chickenpox and shingles. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Seppa, N. (January 5, 2011). The second chickenpox vaccination increases coverage. In science news. Retrieved July 16, 2014, from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/second-chicken-pox-shot-boosts-coverage.Shannon, J. (2008). Pain Sourcebook Third Edition. Aston, Pennsylvania: Omnigraphics, Inc. Siegel, M., & Williams, G. (2008). A new hope for an old disease. Lanham, MD: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V., & Nunn, L. (1998). Chickenpox and shingles. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc.