A nurse is assessing an older patient and notes a cluster of fluid-filled vesicles on the right thoracic area. The nurse suspects HZ (Herpes Zoster). The patient asks the nurse. "I really don't understand how I got shingles. I don't even know anyone who has this infection." The nurse includes which of the following in formulating a response to the patient?

A. Herpes Zoster (HZ), or shingles, is caused by reactivation of the dormant varicella zoster virus—the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains inactive in the sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia and can reactivate later in life, especially in older adults or those with weakened immune systems. B. While HZ and chickenpox share the same virus, reactivation does not require direct contact with someone else with HZ. C. HZ does not require exposure to someone with active chickenpox—it arises from within the individual due to reactivation. D. HZ occurs only in individuals who have previously been exposed to varicella zoster virus (usually through chickenpox or the vaccine), not in those who have never been exposed.