Chickenpox (Varicella) - Cause
The varicella-zoster virus, one of the herpes viruses, causes chickenpox infection. The same virus that causes chickenpox also causes shingles (herpes zoster).
How it is spread
The chickenpox virus can spread easily from one person to another. It most often spreads through the respiratory tract, such as mucous membranes of the mouth and nose. You also can get chickenpox through the air, from an infected person's sneezing or coughing. Less often, chickenpox is spread when fluid from a chickenpox blister gets on your skin. Chickenpox is most contagious from 2 to 3 days before the rash develops until all the blisters have crusted over.
Understanding Chickenpox -- Treatment
Chickenpox is extremely contagious. Keep your child home until all of the blisters are dry and scabs have fallen off. Most cases of chickenpox require little or no treatment beyond treating the symptoms. The prescription drug Zovirax (acyclovir) is helpful in shortening the duration of chickenpox symptoms if given within a day of their appearance. Most experts agree that this drug and those like it should be used for children with chickenpox infections that involve the lungs and/or brain. For less...
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In rare cases, a person can get chickenpox from the fluid of shingles blisters.
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