Is it true that there are more than 15 types of shingles virus, members of the herpes zoster family that may produce a variety of symptoms?

This is correct as well. It is not a single agent and it is not associated in any way with prior infection with chicken pox as that is a separate virus altogether. This family of viruses is a scourge on its own causing many medical conditions that are painful and debilitating. They receive much less attention because they are lower in percentages than the mainstream illnesses more frequently the result of serious medical compromise and death. And here again, the fact this is a family of related viruses with a wide array of potential consequences masks the reality that in aggregate it is a major detriment to health and wellbeing but is being divided into many subcategories and particular maladies that seem mysterious and have no apparent relationship to one another, so the true size of the problem is unappreciated.