Chicken pox in a child: symptoms, forms, prevention

Varicella in a child under 10 years of age is more common than in adults, and is much easier to tolerate. The disease is infectious, characterized by fever and appearance on the skin and mucous membrane of the rash.

Chicken pox in a child : epidemiology

Since the appearance of a rash on the body, and for another five days after the appearance of its last elements, the patient is the source of infection. When crusts begin to form and fall off, it is already non-contagious. Some researchers believe that the varicella-zoster virus can remain in the human body for a very long time. After the disease, the latent infection can survive and last for years. Under the influence of unfavorable factors, it is activated and manifests itself as shingles. Infection occurs directly through the air: when coughing, runny nose, sneezing, the virus, along with drops of liquid, enters the body. The causative agent is not very stable, so transferring it through things is not observed.

Chicken pox in a child : symptoms

On average, from the moment the pathogen enters the weakened organism and before the first signs of the disease appear, it takes two weeks. Sometimes this period can be shortened to 11 days or extended to 21. Within a day, the general condition worsens slightly, the temperature slightly increases. Immediately after it rises to 38-40 °, or after a short time, the first bubbles appear. The rash occurs without a definite order on the head, face, limbs and trunk. It is a small shiny bubble filled with transparent contents that flows out when puncturing. After a couple of days they dry up. After another week or three, brown crusts fall off. Some papules have time to dry up before reaching the bubble stage. The person is bothered by an itch. Eruption occurs not immediately, but by jerks. In this regard, fever can be delayed up to 8 days. Sometimes there are eruptions and on mucous membranes.

Varicella in the child : clinical forms

Classification depends on the abundance of rash and the severity of general manifestations.

1. Pustular form. In this case, the bubbles are filled with pus. After exfoliating the scabs, scars can remain.

2. Bullous form. With her, in addition to the characteristic rash, large flabby bubbles with opaque contents still appear. When they burst, a wetting surface appears in their place. After healing often brownish spots remain.

3. Gangrenous form. Some bubbles are filled with blood. In their place dying scabs are formed. After their disappearance there are deep sores with a dirty bottom and steep edges. With the progression of the disease, they can increase.

4. Hemorrhagic form. It is manifested in weak children. A day or two after the appearance of the rash, hemorrhages in the mucous membranes and skin occur, vomiting with blood is possible.

Chicken pox in children: prevention

The basis for it is sanitation. The patient should be in full isolation for 9 days (and at home), starting with the onset of the rash. Then the room is well ventilated. Disinfection can not be carried out, since the virus is already so unstable. In order to prevent infection, chickenpox vaccination is made for those who have already turned a year old. There are reports that the vaccine "Okavaks" creates immunity for 20 years. Its formation begins on the first day of inoculation and is completed in six weeks.