People may have only a few blisters, or more than 500 may appear. Red spots that appear on the body 2 to 3 days later develop into an itchy rash that forms blisters, which dry and become scabs in 4 to 5 days. They include slight fever, runny nose, slight cough, headache, tiredness, and no appetite. Symptoms develop 7 to 21 days after exposure. People also catch it by direct contact with skin lesions on infected people. People catch chickenpox, when they are around someone who has it, by breathing in droplets containing virus. The cause is varicella-zoster herpesvirus. Immunizations with varicella-zoster vaccine can prevent chickenpox and shingles. Some people may later develop shingles (herpes zoster), a reactivation of chickenpox virus, if their immunity weekens. People develop immunity or resistance to chickenpox when they get it the first time and are unlikely to get it again. Adults usually have a more severe illness that lasts longer. Most cases occur in young people, often children 2 to 8 years old. If a child or teenager has chickenpox, you should see a paediatrician.Chickenpox (also called varicella) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects skin and mucous membranes. Complications may arise if your immune system is low, as a result of chemotherapy or of taking immunosuppressants or cortisone to treat HIV. In the vast majority of cases, chickenpox goes away on its on within a couple of weeks. Chickenpox vaccines are only offered when there is a clinical need for them, such as in cases where a healthy child may come into contact with a person with a weakened immune system. In the UK, chickenpox vaccines are not mandatory and are not offered as part of the childhood vaccination programme with the NHS. The only way of preventing the infection is to get the chickenpox vaccine. How can it be prevented?Ĭhickenpox is highly contagious. It only infects humans and it is spread by contact. You will only get scars if, when you feel itchy, you scratched the crusts before they had healed completely.Ĭhickenpox is caused by an infection of the varicella zoster virus (VZV). This stage can last from one week to 20 days. This is a sign that the infection is over. The crusts will dry out and fall on their own. During this stage the blisters scab over. In case of complications, the pustules can become infected and become filled with pus. There can be several “waves” of spots and blisters, which can also cause an itching sensation. Within 24 hours the fluid inside the blisters will start looking clouded over. At the beginning they appear as red spots, but within a six to eight hours they start to fill with fluid. The incubation stage can last from 13 to 17 days, whereas the prodromal stage (that is, the moment when you start getting symptoms such as a high temperature, loss of appetite, coughing and generally feeling unwell) lasts about 48 hours Įxanthematous stage. It is usually more severe in adults than it is in children.Ĭhickenpox goes through three distinct stages: It is a highly contagious, airborne disease which spreads easily through the coughs and sneezes of an infected person or by sharing food with them. Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is an infectious disease that is more common in children under 12.
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