Chicken Pox

Introduction:

Chicken pox, with its well-known itchy, spotty rash, is commonest between the ages of two and eight. It is highly infectious and caught by breathing in the virus in airborne nasal droplets that have been coughed or sneezed, or by direct contact with the rash.

A virus called varicella causes chicken pox. The incubation period (the time it takes for symptoms to appear) is 10-21 days.

While the virus is incubating, the child will probably feel fine for a day or two. The rash then appears on the face and scalp, upper body and limbs; it can spread inside the mouth and airways, causing an unpleasant and persistent cough and sore throat.

Over 12 to 48 hours the rash breaks out as itchy spots that become fluid-filled blisters. It takes a few days for the blisters to dry into scabs and a week or so for the scabs to fall off.

No special tests are needed for diagnosis as the condition is common and easily recognised by GPs.

Treatment

The usual treatment is rest. Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids and continues to eat a normal diet for the next 10 days.

Give paracetamol to lower temperature during the fever, and apply calamine lotion to the skin to reduce itchiness. Discourage scratching, as it can lead to bacterial infection of the spots and eventual scarring.

Children are no longer infectious once the rash has crusted over.

Other issues

Women in the late stages of pregnancy should avoid contact with anyone with chicken pox, as contracting the virus during pregnancy can be very serious. Babies aged one month or less should also be kept away from someone with chicken pox.

Although most people are immune for life once they have had chicken pox, the virus remains dormant (inactive) in the nerve tissues and may reappear in adult life as shingles.

Vaccination

A chicken pox vaccination is available, but is used only for health workers who have not had the disease, and for high-risk vulnerable babies and children, such as those who have had an organ transplant, cancer or who have immune problems.

 References:

This article has been written for PruHealth by Dr Foster Research. All Dr Foster Research (DFR) health content is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.