Chickenpox is a common contagious childhood disease. The disease mainly affects children because most adults have become immune to it. The severity of chickenpox is minor unless newborns, pregnant women and adults are infected with it. They experience the disease as severe and have a greater risk of complications. What is chickenpox? How do you get it? How do you deal with it? And when should you go to the doctor?

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In this article you will find information about the childhood disease chickenpox:

• General information
• Pathogen
• Way of infection
• Incubation period
• Disease symptoms
• Disease progression
• Complications
• Treatment/care (incl. pregnancy)
• Report to the GGD?

Chickenpox (varicella)

Chickenpox is characterized by spots, blisters and scabs on the skin. It is a very common childhood disease. 75% of people get chickenpox between the ages of 1 and 6. If one has had the disease, one is generally immune to it. However, if the disease has had a mild course, there is a chance that a child will suffer from chickenpox again later. A mild course of the disease mainly occurs in babies up to their 1st birthday, as until then they still carry antibodies that they have received from their mother. The chance that an adult will become ill from chickenpox is very small, even if they have never been infected with the virus. Over the years, a person builds up sufficient antibodies to defend themselves against the disease. If you become infected at an older age, the course of the disease and possible complications will be more serious than in children. Newborn babies and pregnant women will also experience the disease severely.In general, chickenpox is not harmful to the unborn. However, if a woman becomes infected when she is less than 16 weeks pregnant, there is a risk of abnormalities in the baby. Even when a woman is very pregnant and gets chickenpox, the dangers to the baby are greater. She would therefore do well to visit the doctor as soon as possible.

Pathogen

Chickenpox is caused by a virus, the varicella zoster virus.

Way of infection

The varicella zoster virus is found in the throat and nose of an infected child. The virus is spread by coughing, sneezing and talking, among other things. The fluid that comes out of the blisters is also very contagious. Once the blisters have dried, the risk of infection has passed. The contagiousness of the disease starts 1 day before the spots appear.

Incubation period

Incubation period is the time between infection and outbreak of the disease. The incubation period of chickenpox is 2 to 3 weeks.

Disease symptoms

• Mild fever
• Hangover
• Headache
• Pink spots on the head, torso, neck and mouth
• Vesicles on the head, torso, neck and mouth
• Scabs on the head, torso and neck
• Spots, blisters and scabs can be present on the skin simultaneously
• Itch

Course of the disease

A child who has contracted the varicella zoster virus will first suffer from a mild fever. The temperature rises to around 39 degrees. The child may suffer from droopiness. After 1 to 2 days, pink spots appear on the head and behind the ears. These spots spread to the trunk. They lie slightly above the skin. The spots form into blisters. These blisters can be very itchy. Due to the itching, a child usually scratches them open, but they can also pop open on their own. When the blisters are open, they are sure to cause scarring later on. The wounds are sensitive to infections.The blisters dry up within a few days. Scabs form on the skin. When the scabs fall off, the disease is over. This is approximately 9 to 13 days after the outbreak of the disease. The total course of the disease usually lasts about 2 to 3 weeks.

Complications

• Infection of open blisters
• Scar formation (result of open blisters)
• Pneumonia
• Lung infection
• Brain inflammation (encephalitis)
• Later in life: Shingles (The varicella zoster virus remains latent in the body after infection. Later in life, the virus can become active and cause shingles. Shingles in its place can then give susceptible children chickenpox.)

Treatment/care

There is no specific curative treatment for chickenpox. A child needs to fight it out. However, measures can be taken to make it as pleasant as possible for the child. Use menthol powder or menthol shake on the skin to relieve itching. Make sure the child stays out of the sun and bathes with lukewarm water, as heat makes itching worse. The child may also have blisters in the mouth. These hurt instead of itching. Give the child soft foods and popsicles to reduce this pain. It is wise to cut the child’s nails short. He will then be less able to scratch open the blisters.The chance that adults are susceptible to chickenpox is small, but because chickenpox can be dangerous for pregnant women, it is advisable to inform this target group.

Go to the doctor if:

• Strong coughing
• Abnormal drowsiness
• Unsteady walking
• Difficulty looking at bright light
• Stiff neck
• Rash with pus coming out
• Swollen, warm, red and painful skin around the rash
• A fever that is higher than 39 degrees or lasts longer than 4 days
• Pregnancy less than 16 weeks
• High pregnancy (1 to 2 weeks before delivery)

Pregnancy

There is some treatment available for pregnant women. This treatment is given when a woman is heavily pregnant and chickenpox can make the unborn very ill. During this treatment, the infected expectant mother is given antibodies. If a mother gets chickenpox while breastfeeding, she can continue breastfeeding. Breastfeeding contains antibodies against the virus. However, she must provide this by expressing it and leaving the feeding to someone else, as she herself is contagious. As soon as the blisters have dried, she can feed the child herself again.

Report to the GGD?

It is not mandatory to report a case of chickenpox to the GGD. However, if an organization (school, daycare, etc.) has to deal with many children who have a skin disease among its members, they are obliged to report this.