Just being in the same room with someone with either disease can result in infection. Both are caused by the same virus, so someone with shingles will actual pass on chicken pox to some one who has never been infected. Shingles is actually a recurrence of the chicken pox virus. HSV-1 and 2 however actually need some sort of contact to result in infection. Both HSV 1 and 2 can infect either a person's mouth or genitals.
Testing is needed to determine the exact virus that is at work.
Common viruses Chicken pox is a common childhood disease. Most of the population gets the disease before they reach adulthood. HSV-2 is also spreading, with the infection rate up 30 percent in the last 20 years. It is important to note however that someone can be infected with HSV and not have symptoms and still be very contagious. The first stage however is usually an outbreak of small painful blisters at the point of exposure.