chickenpox
Sign in to saveChickenpox, also known as varicella ( ), is a highly contagious disease caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually scab over. It usually starts on the chest, back, and face. It then spreads to the rest of the body. The rash and other symptoms, such as fever, tiredness, and headaches, usually last five to seven days. Complications may occasionally include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, and bacterial skin infections. The disease is usually more severe in ad
AI overview
Chickenpox is a highly contagious infection caused by a virus that produces an itchy rash of small blisters, typically starting on the chest and face, along with fever and fatigue that usually last about a week. While the disease is typically mild, it can occasionally lead to serious complications like pneumonia or brain inflammation, and tends to be more severe in adults.
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Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Chickenpox
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- varicella
- Medical condition (new).image
- Varicela Aranzales.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- A patient presenting with the characteristic blisters of chickenpox
- Medical condition (new).field
- Infectious disease
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Small, itchy blisters, headache, loss of appetite, tiredness, fever
- Medical condition (new).onset
- 10–21 days after exposure
- Medical condition (new).duration
- 5–10 days
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Varicella zoster virus
- Medical condition (new).prevention
- Varicella vaccine
- Medical condition (new).medication
- Calamine lotion, paracetamol (acetaminophen), aciclovir
Article
21 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Pregnancy and neonates
- Pathophysiology
- Shingles
- Diagnosis
- Prevention
- Hygiene measures
- Vaccine
- Treatment
- Children
- Adults
- Prognosis
- Epidemiology
- Society and culture
- Etymology
- Intentional exposure
- Animals
- Research
- See also
- References
- External links
Chickenpox, also known as varicella ( ), is a highly contagious disease caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually scab over. It usually starts on the chest, back, and face. It then spreads to the rest of the body. The rash and other symptoms, such as fever, tiredness, and headaches, usually last five to seven days. Complications may occasionally include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, and bacterial skin infections. The disease is usually more severe in adults than in children.
Chickenpox is an airborne disease which easily spreads via human-to-human transmission, typically through the coughs and sneezes of an infected person. The incubation period is 10–21 days, after which the characteristic rash appears. It may be spread from one to two days before the rash appears until all lesions have crusted over. It may also spread through contact with the blisters. Those with shingles may spread chickenpox to those who are not immune through contact with the blisters. The disease can usually be diagnosed based on the presenting symptom; however, in unusual cases it may be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of the blister fluid or scabs. Testing for antibodies may be done to determine if a person is immune. People usually only get chickenpox once. Although reinfections by the virus occur, these reinfections usually do not cause any symptoms.