Chickenpox is a highly contagious virus that mostly affects children, though teenagers and adults can also contract the virus. In most people, chicken pox is not serious but is a very itchy inconvenience that lasts about a week.
Description
Chickenpox is also known as the varicella-zoster virus; it belongs to the herpes family of viruses. Despite the name, chickenpox is only carried, transmitted and contracted by humans.
Symptoms
The most well-known symptom of chickenpox is a red, blistery rash that starts on the upper half of the body. Portions of the rash generally appear in waves, totaling 250 to 500 lesions. Blisters may appear anywhere on the body, including highly uncomfortable places such as the inside of the mouth and nose, as well as the inside of the vagina and rectum. Generally, a low-grade fever accompanies the virus.
Contagious Period
According to the Centers for Disease Control, individuals infected with the chickenpox virus are contagious beginning one to two days before the rash begins. These individuals are able to spread the virus without even knowing they have contracted it. Once the blisters fully crust over, the contagious period ends. This is usually four to seven days after the rash begins in healthy individuals. Anyone with a compromised immune system due to an underlying medical condition may take longer to heal and for the contagious period to end.
Transmission
Chickenpox is transmitted from an infected individual by direct contact. It is also transmitted through the air, when the infected person coughs or sneezes or when fluid from the blisters becomes airborne. Pregnant women who contract the virus can transmit it to their unborn baby, because the virus can easily cross the placenta.
Treatment
Healthy people who contract the chickenpox virus require little treatment other than managing symptoms. Itching is one of the most frustrating aspects of chickenpox; it can be managed with oatmeal baths, calamine lotion and oral antihistamines. People with weakened immune systems may receive intravenous antiviral medications if the virus is detected within the first 24 hours, notes the CDC.
Complications
Complications of chickenpox include bacterial infections, pneumonia and brain inflammation, in very rare cases. People at higher risk for developing complications include newborns, teenagers, adults and anyone with a weakened immune system.
Vaccine
A vaccine for chicken pox became available for the general public in 1995. The CDC reports that the vaccine is not 100 percent effective in preventing the virus, but it protects 70 to 90 percent of those inoculated. The vaccine is administered in two doses, the first is recommended to be given to toddlers between 12 and 15 months of age and then again right before entering school at four to six years old.
