 What is chickenpox?
Chickenpox is a common childhood disease which causes fever and a rash consisting of small, fluid-filled blisters or vesicles.
The disease is very contagious and people living in the same house commonly infect each other. Usually, the younger a child is, the less he/she will be affected by the disease. Newborns and small babies are normally protected by antibodies from the mother.
Causes
Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella zoster virus. The incubation time from infection to outbreak of the disease is 2 to 3 weeks. The virus causing chickenpox can also cause Herpes zoster or shingles. This disease rarely occurs in children.
Symptoms and signs
Chickenpox begins with a fever and influenza-like symptoms, a blotchy rash then appears on the face and trunk, and small, fluid-filled blisters develop.
These blisters usually burst and dry up, then crust over and disappear. The rash is very itchy, and if the child scratches there is a risk of bacterial infection, which may lead to the development of ulcers and scars.
Crops of new lesions keep appearing for several days, but after about a week all the blisters will have dried up, and the child will no longer be contagious. Painful lesions may sometimes develop on the mucous membranes of the mouth and genitals.
Complications
Rarely, the child may develop signs of meningitis with headache, drowsiness, retching and neck stiffness. In this event you must contact your doctor.
You should also contact your doctor if there are any signs of infection in the rash. These will be seen as pain and tenderness, increased redness and swelling, there may be some pus.
Treatment / What can you do? A bacterial infection in the lesions should be treated with antibiotics.
Give the child pain relievers and apply lotion to soothe the itching.
A cold compress may also relieve the itching. Keep your child's fingernails cut short to prevent scratching, which could lead to infection. Keep the child away from others until the rash has dried up completely.
Prevention
There is a vaccine against chickenpox, but it is not included in the general vaccination programme for children.
Children who, for any reason, have decreased immunity, such as those on cytostatic treatment, can be protected with immunoglobulins, i.e. antibodies against the virus. These children should also be given antiviral medicines if they develop
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