Varicella, also known as chickenpox, is a highly contagious disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
Symptoms include an itchy, blister-like rash in addition to other symptoms.
For most people, getting chickenpox once provides immunity for life. A person can get chickenpox more than once, but it is uncommon.
Disease Reporting Requirement
All practitioners, health care facilities, and laboratories in Florida are required to notify the Florida Department of Health of diseases or conditions of public health significance under section 381.0031, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 64D-3, Florida Administrative Code.
Transmission
Contact with someone with chickenpox
It mainly spreads from unvaccinated people with chickenpox to others who have never had the virus.ย Up to 90%ย of people who are not immune and close to someone with chickenpox will also get infected.
A person with chickenpox is contagious 1-2 days before the rash begins, until all the chickenpox lesions have crusted (scabbed over).
If a vaccinated person gets the disease, they can still spread it to others. Vaccinated people who get chickenpox may develop lesions that do not crust. These people are contagious until no new lesions have appeared for 24 hours.
Contact with someone with shingles
VZV also causesย shingles. After people recover from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the body. People get shingles when VZV reactivates in their bodies later in life.
People who never had chickenpox or didn’t get chickenpox vaccine can get infected with VZV from someone who has shingles. They will develop chickenpox, not shingles. These people can get the virus through:
- Direct contact with the fluid from shingles rash blisters
- Breathing in virus particles that come from the blisters
It takes about 2 weeks after exposure to a person with chickenpox or shingles for someone to develop chickenpox.
Symptoms
The classic symptom of chickenpox is a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters that eventually turn into scabs. The rash may first show up on the chest, back, and face, before it spreads to the rest of the body.
A person with chickenpox may have as many as 500 blisters. It usually takes about 1 week for all of the blisters to become scabs.
Some people who have been vaccinated against chickenpox can still get the disease. However, they usually have milder symptoms.
Individuals At-Risk for Severe Illness
Some people who get chickenpox may have more severe symptoms and may be at higher risk for complications.
Chickenpox can also be serious, even life-threatening, especially during pregnancy, in babies, adolescents, adults, and people with weakened immune systems. People with weakened immune systems have a lowered ability to fight germs and sickness.
Prevention
There are two chickenpox vaccines licensed in the U.S.ย