Chickenpox overview
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Michael Maddaleni, B.S.
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Chickenpox Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Case Studies |
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Chickenpox overview On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Chickenpox overview |
Overview
Chickenpox is the common name for Varicella zoster, and it is classically one of the childhood infectious diseases caught by and survived by almost every child. It is one of the most contagious infectious diseases. The affected child or adult may develop hundreds of itchy, fluid-filled blisters that burst and form crusts. Chickenpox is caused by varicella-zoster, a member of the herpes virus family. The same virus also causes shingles (herpes zoster) in adults.
Causes
Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), also known as human herpes virus 3 (HHV-3), one of the eight herpes viruses known to affect humans.
Differenticating Chickenpox from other Diseases
There are many active considerations that need to be ruled out to diagnose chickenpox. The one exception to this is smallpox. Smallpox would be a major concern in the case of biological warfare.
Screening
The main purpose to screen for chickenpox is to be able to treat it early on before a clinical diagnosis can be made. The people that would need to be screened are the patients that do not currently have symptoms but are at high risk for developing chickenpox.