The varicella zoster virus, a member of the herpes virus family, is the causative organism for two common infectious diseases: chickenpox and shingles. It used to be one of the most easily recognizable childhood diseases until the advent of the chickenpox vaccine.
Identification
The rash of chickenpox is very distinctive. The varicella virus causes crops of fluid-filled vesicles surrounded by inflamed skin, described medically as a "dew drop on a rose petal." This very itchy rash first appears on the face and trunk, but then spreads to the whole body. The vesicles eventually become scabs before the infection finally ends.
Considerations
Chickenpox is very contagious. The virus spreads through the air, in air droplets that the infected person produces during coughing or sneezing, and by direct contact with the vesicles. Once the vesicles scab over, the patient is no longer infectious.
Features
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chicken pox infection can cause other complications. These include bacterial infection of the skin, especially if the infected person scratches the itchy vesicles; infection of the blood, lungs and joints; pneumonia; and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.
Effects
Shingles results from the reactivation of the varicella virus. Once the acute infection of chicken pox resolves, the virus remains dormant in the nervous system. This period can last years to decades, until an unknown trigger reactivates the virus, causing shingles. According to MedlinePlus, the symptoms of shingles include a tingling or burning sensation on one side of the body, followed by red patches of skin and blisters, which then form small ulcers and eventually dry up and scale.
Treatment
The treatment for chickenpox is aimed at reducing the symptoms until the infection goes away on its own. Common remedies to decrease the itching sensation include cool water compresses, baths with finely ground oatmeal, over-the-counter lotions such as calamine, and antihistamine medicines. For shingles, antiviral drugs started within 72 hours of symptoms and over-the-counter pain medicines provide the best treatment.
