Most of us have had our allotment of the so-called children’s diseases, mumps, measles, chicken-pox, and the like. Is shingles contagious? Contagious shingles is another term for herpes zoster. This pain may be accompanied by a feeling of numbness, or burning sensation. These general rules are to play safe, as it is direct contact with the rash that usually passes on the virus. When shingles develops, the virus also is often present in that person’s saliva, so theoretically it could be transmitted by kissing, but we don’t know how often this happens. The rash usually lasts just a few days, but sometimes the pain and discomfort can persist.