In children, chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus of Herpes virus family. The same virus also causes herpes zoster (shingles) in adults.
Chickenpox spreads easily to others by touching the fluids from a chickenpox blister, or if someone with chickenpox in the vicinity coughs or sneezes. People with mild illness may be contagious.
An individual with chickenpox is contagious one to two days even before the blisters appear. Infected individuals remain contagious until all the blisters have turned into crusts.
Most cases of chickenpox are observed in children younger than ten years old. The disease is usually mild, although serious complications sometimes occur. Older children and adolescents usually get sicker than younger children.
Children born to mothers who have had chickenpox or who have received the chickenpox vaccine are not very likely to get chickenpox before they are 1 year old. If in case the children get chickenpox, it's often a mild form. The reason for this would be the antibodies from their mother's blood help protect the children. Children under 1-year old whose mothers have not had chickenpox in their lifetime or if they hadn't received the vaccination against chickenpox can get severe chickenpox.
Suffering from illness or the use of medications such as in chemotherapy and the use of steroids may lead severe chickenpox symptoms more commonly in children whose immune system is compromised.
What causes Chickenpox?
In children, chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus of Herpes virus family. The same virus also causes herpes zoster (shingles) in adults.
Chickenpox spreads easily to others by touching the fluids from a chickenpox blister, or if someone with chickenpox in the vicinity coughs or sneezes. People with mild illness may be contagious.
An individual with chickenpox is contagious one to two days even before the blisters appear. Infected individuals remain contagious until all the blisters have turned into crusts.
Most cases of chickenpox are observed in children younger than ten years old. The disease is usually mild, although serious complications sometimes occur. Older children and adolescents usually get sicker than younger children.
Children born to mothers who have had chickenpox or who have received the chickenpox vaccine are not very likely to get chickenpox before they are 1 year old. If in case the children get chickenpox, it's often a mild form. The reason for this would be the antibodies from their mother's blood help protect the children. Children under 1-year old whose mothers have not had chickenpox in their lifetime or if they hadn't received the vaccination against chickenpox can get severe chickenpox.
Suffering from illness or the use of medications such as in chemotherapy and the use of steroids may lead severe chickenpox symptoms more commonly in children whose immune system is compromised.