Chickenpox Infectious Disease

Chickenpox (varicella) is an infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus that goes away on its own. Infection spreads among humans through fluids from the airways, such as from coughing and sneezing, with non-infected household members at high risk of becoming infected as well. The development period is 14–16 days, and the first sign of disease is a rash. People are considered contagious for 2–5 days before the onset of skin lesions and for 6 days after the last series of rashes have appeared.

The most common complication is infection of lesions with bacteria. Rare complications include lung infection or brain infection. Children who have weak immune systems, eczema, or recent sunburns have more severe symptoms. Because the virus remains resting in the parts of nerves that are near the spinal cord for life, about 1 in 10 adults will get shingles (zoster) when the virus reappears, usually under conditions of stress to the body.

Who's At Risk
Chickenpox occurs most commonly in children under 10. Those under 1 year of age (whose mothers have had chickenpox before) are not usually infected, as they still have some immunity from their mother's antibodies, which were transferred to them before birth.

Signs and Symptoms
Most children act sick with fever and vague symptoms (loss of appetite, headache, belly ache) for 1–2 days before they start to break out with a rash. These symptoms last for 2–4 days after the rash appears.

An early pink-to-red, flat, small spot rapidly becomes bumpy and then blisters with a surrounding halo of redness. The spots usually appear first on the trunk or scalp. Linings of body cavities, such as the mouth or nose (mucous membranes), palms, and soles, can have a few lesions. The average child develops a few hundred blisters, most of which heal without leaving scars. A child who has had the chickenpox vaccine will have far fewer lesions.

The blister is usually described as looking like a dewdrop on a rose petal. The blister area (vesicle) is thin-walled and easily broken. Blisters become cloudy and then crust over, with healing completed within 1–3 weeks. Lesions often occur in 3 or more successive series (crops). Lesions in different stages of development may occur at the same time.

Treatments of Chickenpox
Antiviral medication may be given if the child is seen early for children at higher risk for more severe chickenpox infection (those with asthma, eczema, recent sunburn, children taking aspirin or steroids on a regular basis, and those with weak immune systems).