What is chickenpox? Chickenpox is a very contagious disease
caused by the varicella virus. Chickenpox is also called
varicella. How does it occur? The chickenpox virus is spread
through the air by infected people when they sneeze or cough.
The disease also spreads from touching the chickenpox blisters
without careful handwashing afterwards. If you have already had
chickenpox, you are probably immune. Being immune means that if
you are exposed to chickenpox again, your body can fight off the
infection and you will not get sick. If you had a very mild case
of chickenpox with just a few blisters, it is possible to have
chickenpox again, but this is rare. After infection, the virus
stays in your body for life. The virus can later cause shingles,
which causes a painful, blistering rash on one side of the body.
Someone who has not had chickenpox or the chickenpox shot could
get chickenpox from close contact with someone who has shingles.
Less than 5% of adults are at risk of having chickenpox. Most
are immune becau