UV light has long been known to deactivate the virus. However, a virologist from St. George's University of London named Dr. Phil Rice believes his findings suggest that UV light can kill the varicella zoster virus, herpes virus responsible for causing chickenpox and herpes zoster before infectious to others.
Dr. Rice examined data from 25 studies on the pattern of varicella-zoster virus (the cause of chickenpox and herpes zoster) in temperate and tropical regions throughout the world.
He analyzed data on various climatic factors to examine what may be the cause of the increased incidence of chickenpox. The data show that UV light is the only factor that matches the pattern of infection in each of the countries studied.
He found that chickenpox is much more rarely found in areas with high UV exposure as compared to areas with low exposure to UV light. This explains why smallpox is more rarely found in the tropics than in temperate countries of sub-tropical.
This also explains why the spread of smallpox reached its peak in seasonal climates in the winter and spring, when UV rays are emitted in the lowest stage.
Studies have been published in the Journal of Virology confirmed that UV light was not originally considered as a factor causing smallpox, but other factors such as heat, humidity, population density or infection with another virus that protects.
After looking at the epidemiological studies, the analysis showed a good correlation between latitude and the presence of viruses.
"One of the factors compelling hypothesis is that there are explanations for any anomalies. For example, the peak spread of smallpox in India and Sri Lanka during the summer, dry, and sunny. You would expect chickenpox is at its lowest at this time because it is not in accordance with the theory. However, UV light is actually much lower in the dry season compared to the monsoon period. In the dry season, pollutants in the atmosphere reflects UV rays back into space before it can reach the earth's surface. But in the rainy season, rains wash pollutants causing UV rays can penetrate the atmosphere, "explains Dr.. Rice.
As reported by ScienceDaily, Friday (16/12/2011), Dr. Rice also found that it has formed two types of measles virus genes of different types of tropical and temperature type. He found that the temperature is just type in tropical infectious when UV radiation is reduced or absent. This type of virus spread in the house, but not outside the home.
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