Chicken Pox: Primer

Source: http://doh.gov.ph ; http://healthscout.com

Cause: “varicella” virus

Varicella, otherwise known as chicken pox, is a generalized infection caused by the varicella zoster virus. It is an extremely contagious disease that is characterized by a blistery rash. The incubation period (time between exposure to the illness and the appearance of symptoms) of chicken pox is 10 to 21 days. It is contagious for about six to eight days after the rash appears or until all of the blisters have dried out.

Mode of transmission

• person to person by direct contact, droplet or air borne spread of fluid or secretions from persons with chickenpox

• contagious 5 days before and 5 days after the appearance of blisters

Signs and symptoms

• appearance of reddish skin lesions which later become blisters on the 3rd - 4th day of fever

•weakness

• muscle and joint pains

• sudden onset of fever

Immediate treatment

• chickenpox rashes will disappear in 1-2 weeks time even without treatment

• frequent baths are sometimes helpful to relieve itching. Adding finely-ground (colloidal) oatmeal such as Aveeno can help improve itching. Oatmeal baths can be prepared at home also by grinding or blending dry oatmeal into a fine powder and adding about 2 cups to the bath water. One-half to one cup of baking soda may also be added to bath water to reduce itching.

• the most common lotion used for chicken pox is Calamine lotion. This or any similar over-the-counter preparation can be applied to the blisters to help dry them out and soothe the skin.

Prevention and control

• Avoid crowded areas during epidemics

• Isolate known cases

• Vaccine is available as precautionary measure and as per doctor’s advise.

Prevention of Varicella (Chicken Pox)Chicken pox can be prevented through vaccination (now recommended by almost all major national health and public health groups). Recommendations are:

Children and Adolescents:

Healthy children can be vaccinated, optimally at age 12 to 18 months or anytime up until the age of 13, if they have no history of chicken pox. Adolescents 13 years and older who have no history of chicken pox, should receive two doses of vaccine four to eight weeks apart. Duration of immunity after vaccination is not completely known. Re-vaccination with a booster dose may be required to sustain immunity through adulthood.

Adults: Two doses of varicella vaccine four to eight weeks apart are recommended for healthy adults with no history of chicken pox or previous vaccination. Health care workers, daycare workers, employees of colleges or residential facilities, family members of immunocompromised individuals, and others who live or work in environments in which transmission may be easy are particularly encouraged to receive vaccination.

Those who had the disease before are already immune and will not have the disease again.

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