Bad Breath.....contagious??

Hi guys,

I hope someone can offer some advice or experience here. About three years ago I developed a number of problems which may or may not be related (you tell me!). I think I may have had shingles, the biggest symptom being an inflamed eye and severe pain in and around the eye which lasted about two years. The pain was constant and bad and my doctor wasn't much help. Anyway, to the point; at around the same time I noticed that I had developed very bad breath. I've tried everything over the last few years. The strongest mouthwash on the market will mask the smell for 5 minutes max. I'm pretty sure the smell is eminating from the mouth, as I constantly have a bad taste in my mouth, and not liver etc. I am very concerned because my wife has also developed chronic bad breath. Could this be associated to some disease/infection that both of us have picked up? Believe me both our breaths smell so bad that it cannot be a coincidence.

Thanks guys.