via webmd.com

Chickenpox is a common illness among kids, particularly those under age 12. An itchy rash of spots that look like blisters can appear all over the body and may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Symptoms usually go away without treatment, but because the infection is very contagious, an infected child should stay home and rest until the symptoms are gone.
Quoted from kidshealth.org

Chicken Pox Symptoms

Symptoms of chickenpox include an uncomfortable, itchy rash, fever and headache. The rash is like blisters and usually appears on the face, scalp or trunk. The disease is usually mild and lasts 5 to 10 days, but it sometimes causes serious problems. Adults and older children tend to get sicker from it.
Quoted from Medline Plus

What Home Treatments are Available for Chickenpox?

Chickenpox Treatment

Parents can do several things at home to help relieve their child’s chickenpox symptoms. Because scratching the blisters may cause them to become infected, keep your child’s fingernails trimmed short. Calamine lotion and Aveeno (oatmeal) baths may help relieve some of the itching. Do not use aspirin or aspirin-containing products to relieve your child’s fever. The use of aspirin in children with chickenpox has been associated with development of Reye’s syndrome (a severe disease affecting all organs, but most seriously affecting the liver and brain, that may cause death). Use non-aspirin medications such as acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol).
Quoted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Chickenpox Vaccine : 100 Percent Effective?

No vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing disease. For the chickenpox vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nine out of 10 people who are vaccinated with two doses are completely protected from chickenpox. If a vaccinated person does get chickenpox, it’s usually a mild case with only a few pox sores that may resemble bug bites instead of the typical fluid-filled chickenpox blisters. However, even a mild infection can be contagious.

In the United States, chickenpox vaccination is a routine childhood immunization. Children receive the first dose between the ages of 12 and 15 months and the second dose between the ages of 4 and 6 years. Adults who have never had chickenpox or who haven’t received two doses of the chickenpox vaccine also should get vaccinated.
Quoted from mayoclinic.com

Chickenpox Vaccination Reaction

As with all vaccines, there can be minor reactions, including…

• Pain and redness at the injection site
• Headache
• Fatigue
• A vague feeling of discomfort.

via cbhi.org

Chickenpox Pictures

What do chickenpox look like?

• Chickenpox (Varicella) Photos - Vaccine Information
• Pictures of Chickenpox - Health CD Writer
• Chickenpox Pictures - Webshots
• Chickenpox stock photos and images - Foto Search
• Images relating to Chickenpox - Wrong Diagnosis
• Chickenpox (varicella) - DermNet
• A collection of pictures - RatBags
• Varicella (Chickenpox): Infant - Visual Dx Health

Chickenpox Virus

What causes chickenpox?

Multiple names are used to refer to same virus, creating some confusion. Varicella virus, zoster virus, human herpes 3 (HHV-3), and Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) all refer to the same viral pathogen. The disease caused by this pathogen is called chickenpox or Varicella disease during the initial infection. A reactivation of the infection is commonly called shingles, herpes zoster or simply zoster.

Primary VZV infection results in chickenpox (varicella)
Source: Wikipedia

Adult Chickenpox Related Links

• Diary of a Chickenpox Sufferer - Adult Chickenpox
• Can chickenpox cause infertility in an adult male? - Mayo Clinic
• Adult chickenpox deaths rise - BBC News
• Treatment of adult chickenpox with oral acyclovir - Archives of Internal Medicine

History of Chickenpox

When was chickenpox founded?

Chickenpox is believed to have been first described (discovered) by Giovanni Filippo during the 1500s in Italy. In the 1600s, an English physician named Richard Morton gave the name chickenpox to what he thought was a milder form of smallpox. It is believed that in the 1700s, William Heberden (another English physician), was the first physician to prove that chickenpox was actually different from smallpox.
Source: emedtv.com

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