Babies Worldwide

Chickenpox is one of the classic childhood diseases, and one of the most contagious. The affected child or adult may develop hundreds of itchy, fluid-filled blisters that burst and form crusts.

The virus that causes chickenpox is varicella-zoster, a member of the herpesvirus family. The same virus also causes herpes zoster (shingles) in adults.

Typically a young child is covered in pox and will have to avoid school for seven to ten days. During the time the child has Chickenpox they will feel miserable from intense itching; later when the pox is beginning to disappear like all children they will get fed up. However, with the introduction of a vaccine against the condition the occurance is much less.

Part of the reason for keeping the child at home from school and mixing with other children is that the condition is extremely contagious, and can be spread by direct contact, droplet transmission, and airborne transmission. Even those with mild illness after the vaccine may be contagious.

When someone becomes infected, the pox usually appear 10 to 21 days later. People become contagious 1 to 2 days before breaking out with pox. They remain contagious while uncrusted blisters are present.

When a person contracts chickenpox, the virus usually remains with them for life, however, the persons own immune system appears to keep the condition from reappearing. While the virus is normally keep under control by the bodies own defence system about 1 in 10 adults will experience shingles when the virus re-emerges during periods of stress in their lives..

Most cases of chickenpox occur in children younger than ten. The disease is usually mild, although serious complications sometimes occur. Adults and older children usually get sicker than younger children do.

Records show that where a mother has had chickenpox in her early life her children are liable to contact the illness. One good point, however, is that because the mother has built up an immunity from the condition part of that immunity is passed onto the child meaning that the child will often have a more mild form of chickenpox.

Children with skin problems such as eczema or a recent sunburn tend to become more effected.

Complications are more common in those who are immunocompromised from an illness or medicines like chemotherapy. Some of the worst cases of chickenpox have been seen in children who have taken steroids during the incubation period, before they have any symptoms.

Tags: chickenpox, childhood illnesses

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 4:08 pm and is filed under Childhood Illnesses. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.