Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
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Chickenpox
Chickenpox and shingles are caused by a virus called the Herpes Zoster virus. It is also called the varicella-zoster virus (varicella is the medical name for chickenpox).
Chickenpox is a mild disease that most children catch at some point. It’s most common in the winter and spring and usually affects lots of children at the same time, around once every three years. This is called an epidemic.
Chickenpox is most common between the ages of two and eight. You are infectious from about two days before the rash appears until roughly five days after. It takes 10-21 days for the symptoms to show after you’ve come into contact with the virus. This is called the 'incubation period'. Chickenpox spreads in tiny droplets of saliva and nasal mucus coughed out by an infected person. The virus is already in these droplets before any rash appears, which is why it spreads so fast.
The chickenpox rash is made up of lots of red blisters, which burst and then scab over. Doctors used to think that the infection was still there until the last blister had burst and scabbed. However, the Public Health Laboratory Service now recommend that children with chickenpox only need to be kept off school or nursery for 5 days, because there’s no evidence of the virus spreading after day five of the rash. Children who’ve recently been exposed to the chicken pox virus may not be able to visit friends or relatives in hospital – you should telephone the ward to check first.
After a chickenpox infection, the virus stays in the body (remains dormant). It doesn’t do any harm because it’s kept under control by the immune system; the part of the body that fights infection. At any time later in life, but usually when you’re an adult, the virus can be reactivated (come back), causing shingles.
If a woman comes into contact with chickenpox or shingles when pregnant, there’s no problem if she’s had it before, because this gives your body immunity to it (re-infection is rare). This means the baby is not at risk of chicken pox even of the mother develops shingles during pregnancy.
If the woman hasn’t had chickenpox before or is unsure if she has, she should see her GP to be tested for it. If this shows she hasn’t had chickenpox and has no antibodies, then chickenpox antibodies can be given. This is best given within 4 days (but can be given up to 10 days) of coming into contact with the virus.
Chickenpox and flying:
If your child has chickenpox, they may not be allowed to fly during the infectious stage. This is because the air conditioning systems in aeroplane cabins allow germs to circulate easily, and the chickenpox infection can be very dangerous for people with AIDS or a lowered immune system, and pregnant women. Your child should be safe to fly once they are past the infectious stage and the blisters have crusted over, but it’s best to check your airline policy first.
You should inform the airline as soon as you have sought medical advice and had the illness diagnosed. It’s also important to let your insurer know, to make sure that you will be covered if you have to delay or cancel your holiday or if you need to extend your stay until your child is well enough to fly home.
