Chickenpox (varicella) is a generalised infection caused by the virus Herpes zoster. Infection occurs when the
virus passes to another person from the fluid-filled blisters that cover the body of patients, or in their breath and
saliva. Patients are infectious for a day or two before the spots appear, and remain infectious for about eight days.
The incubation period is 10 to 21 days.
Early symptoms are similar to those of a cold, with a vague feeling of being unwell, headache, fever and sore
throat. The rash usually starts on the head or chest as red pimples, then spreads onto the legs and arms, and
develops into blisters before drying up and scabbing over.
New spots may develop for three to five days, and it may be
two weeks or more before the last spot disappears. The
diagnosis can be confirmed by varicella antibody blood
tests, but none are usually necessary.
Treatment involves bed and home rest until the patient
feels well, and medications to relieve the itch (eg. calamine
lotion, antihistamines), fever and headache. Children must
be excluded from school for at least five days from the
appearance of the first blisters and until all blisters have
developed a dry scab.
There is a vaccine has been available since 2000 to
prevent the disease. One injection is necessary if given
between 12 months and 12 years of age, but two injections
six weeks apart in older children and adults.
Complications are more common in adults, and include
chest infections and a type of meningitis. It is unusual for
the pockmarks to scar unless a secondary bacterial
infection occurs.
Complete recovery within ten days is normal. Once a
person has had chickenpox, it is unlikely (but not
impossible) that they will ever catch it again.
Once a patient has had chickenpox, the virus never leaves their body but migrates to the nerves along the
spinal cord where it remains forever. The virus may be reactivated years later at times of stress to give the patient
the painful rash of shingles.
virus passes to another person from the fluid-filled blisters that cover the body of patients, or in their breath and
saliva. Patients are infectious for a day or two before the spots appear, and remain infectious for about eight days.
The incubation period is 10 to 21 days.
Early symptoms are similar to those of a cold, with a vague feeling of being unwell, headache, fever and sore
throat. The rash usually starts on the head or chest as red pimples, then spreads onto the legs and arms, and
develops into blisters before drying up and scabbing over.
New spots may develop for three to five days, and it may be
two weeks or more before the last spot disappears. The
diagnosis can be confirmed by varicella antibody blood
tests, but none are usually necessary.
Treatment involves bed and home rest until the patient
feels well, and medications to relieve the itch (eg. calamine
lotion, antihistamines), fever and headache. Children must
be excluded from school for at least five days from the
appearance of the first blisters and until all blisters have
developed a dry scab.
There is a vaccine has been available since 2000 to
prevent the disease. One injection is necessary if given
between 12 months and 12 years of age, but two injections
six weeks apart in older children and adults.
Complications are more common in adults, and include
chest infections and a type of meningitis. It is unusual for
the pockmarks to scar unless a secondary bacterial
infection occurs.
Complete recovery within ten days is normal. Once a
person has had chickenpox, it is unlikely (but not
impossible) that they will ever catch it again.
Once a patient has had chickenpox, the virus never leaves their body but migrates to the nerves along the
spinal cord where it remains forever. The virus may be reactivated years later at times of stress to give the patient
the painful rash of shingles.
No comments:
Post a Comment