Chickenpox is a viral disease that can occur in winter and spring. It can often occur between March and May but its prevalence is lower the past few years.
Chickenpox is a viral disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes fever and itchy rash with spots all over the body. It often starts without the classic rash, with a fever, headache, sore throat, or stomachache. These symptoms may last for a few days, with the fever in the 38.3°–38.8°C range. The red, itchy skin rash usually starts on the belly or back and face. Then it spreads to almost everywhere else on the body, including the scalp, mouth, arms, legs, and genitals. The rash begins as many small red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites. They appear in waves over 2 to 4 days, then develop into thin-walled blisters filled with fluid. The blister walls break, leaving open sores, which finally crust over to become dry, brown scabs. The rash may spread wider or be more severe in kids who have weak immune systems or skin disorders like eczema.
This virus also can cause a painful skin rash called shingles (herpes zoster) later in life. After someone has had chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (resting) in the nervous system for the rest of their life. The virus can reactivate ("wake up") later as shingles. Kids who are vaccinated against chickenpox are much less likely to develop shingles when they get older.
Chickenpox is very contagious. Most kids with an infected sibling also will get it (if they haven't already had the infection or the vaccine), showing symptoms about 2 weeks after the first child does.
Someone with chickenpox can spread the virus:
Chickenpox is contagious from about 2 days before the rash starts until all the blisters are crusted over. Someone with shingles can spread chickenpox (but not shingles) to people who haven't had chickenpox or the vaccine.
Some people are more at risk for complications from chickenpox, including:
Most people who get the chickenpox vaccine will not get chickenpox. And if they do get chickenpox, their symptoms will be much milder.
Doctors recommend that kids get the chickenpox vaccine as:
People 6 years of age and older who have never had chickenpox and aren't vaccinated can and should get two doses of the vaccine but kids who have had chickenpox do not need the vaccine — they usually have lifelong protection against the illness.
Doctors usually can diagnose chickenpox by looking at the telltale rash.
If you take your child to the doctor for better guidance, let the staff know ahead of time that your child might have chickenpox. It's important not to expose other kids in the office — for some of them, a chickenpox infection could cause serious complications.
A virus causes chickenpox, so antibiotics can't treat it. But antibiotics are needed if bacteria infect the sores. This can happen when kids scratch and pick at the blisters.
To help relieve the itchiness and discomfort of chickenpox:
To prevent scratching:
If your child has blisters in the mouth:
· Never give aspirin to kids with chickenpox. It can lead to a serious illness called Reye syndrome.
Most chickenpox infections don't need special medical treatment. But sometimes, problems can happen. Call the doctor if your child:
Sanondaf deal with outbreaks, infections and contamination caused by:
· Norovirus, flu viruses including swine flu and bird flu
· Bacterial outbreaks caused by salmonella, E. coli, MRSA and C. diff
· High-risk pathogens such as hepatitis, tuberculosis and HIV
Our process can also be effective against outbreaks caused by:
· Chickenpox
· Hand, foot and mouth disease
· Scarlet fever
· Mumps
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/chicken-pox.html
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