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– an acute infectious disease of viral etiology, characterized by the appearance of a characteristic blistering rash against the background of a general intoxication syndrome. The causative agent of chickenpox is the herpes virus type 3, transmitted from a patient by airborne droplets. Chickenpox is one of the most common childhood infections. It is manifested by characteristic abundant itchy blistering rashes that appear at the height of fever and general infectious manifestations. A typical clinic allows you to diagnose the disease without conducting any additional research. Treatment of chickenpox is mainly symptomatic. To prevent secondary infection, antiseptic treatment of rash elements is recommended.

General information

– an acute infectious disease of viral etiology, characterized by the appearance of a characteristic blistering rash against the background of a general intoxication syndrome.

Characteristics of the pathogen

Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus of the herpesvirus family, also known as human herpes virus type 3. This is a DNA-containing virus, little stable in the external environment, capable of replication only in the human body. Inactivation of the virus occurs quite quickly when exposed to sunlight, ultraviolet irradiation, heating, and drying. The reservoir and source of chickenpox are sick people during the last 10 days of the incubation period and the fifth to seventh day of the rash period.

Chickenpox is transmitted through the aerosol mechanism by airborne droplets. Due to the weak resistance of the virus, contact-household transmission is difficult to implement. The spread of the virus with a fine aerosol released by patients when coughing, sneezing, talking, is possible over a sufficiently large distance within the room; it is likely to be carried by air currents into adjacent rooms. There is a possibility of transplacental transmission of infection.

People have a high susceptibility to infection; after suffering from chickenpox, intense lifelong immunity remains. Children in the first months of life are protected from infection by antibodies received from the mother. Chickenpox most often affects children of preschool and primary school age who attend organized children's groups. About 70-90% of the population gets chickenpox before the age of 15 years. The incidence in cities is more than 2 times higher than in rural areas. The peak incidence of chickenpox occurs in the autumn-winter period.

Pathogenesis of chickenpox

The entry point for infection is the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. The virus invades and accumulates in epithelial cells, subsequently spreading to regional lymph nodes and further into the general bloodstream. The circulation of the virus in the bloodstream causes symptoms of general intoxication. The varicella zoster virus has an affinity for the epithelium of integumentary tissues. Replication of the virus in the epithelial cell contributes to its death; in place of the dead cells, cavities remain, filled with exudate (inflammatory fluid) - a vesicle is formed. After opening the vesicles, crusts remain. After peeling off the crust, the newly formed epidermis is revealed underneath it. Chickenpox rashes can form both on the skin and on the mucous membranes, where the vesicles quickly progress to erosion.

Chicken pox in people with a weakened immune system occurs in a severe form, contributes to the development of complications, secondary infection, and exacerbation of chronic diseases. During pregnancy, the probability of transmitting chickenpox from mother to fetus is 0.4% in the first 14 weeks and increases to 1% until week 20, after which the risk of infection of the fetus is practically absent. As an effective preventive measure, pregnant women with chickenpox are prescribed specific immunoglobulins that help reduce the likelihood of transmitting the infection to the child to a minimum. Chicken pox that develops a week before childbirth and in the month following childbirth is more dangerous.

Persistent, lifelong immunity reliably protects the body from re-infection, however, with a significant decrease in the body’s immune properties, adults who had chickenpox in childhood can become infected with it again. There is a phenomenon of latent carriage of the varicella zoster virus, which accumulates in the cells of the nerve ganglia and can be activated, causing herpes zoster. The mechanisms of viral activation during such carriage are not yet clear enough.

Chickenpox symptoms

The incubation period for chickenpox ranges from 1-3 weeks. In children, prodromal phenomena are weakly expressed or not observed at all; in general, the course is mild with a slight deterioration in the general condition. Adults are prone to a more severe course of chickenpox with severe symptoms of intoxication (chills, headache, body aches), fever, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Rashes in children can occur unexpectedly in the absence of any general symptoms. In adults, the period of rashes often begins later; fever when elements of the rash appear may persist for some time.

The rash with chickenpox has the character of bullous dermatitis. Rashes are single elements that appear on any part of the body and spread without any pattern. The elements of the rash initially appear as red spots, progressing into papules, and then into small, even, single-chamber vesicles with clear liquid, which collapse when punctured. Opened vesicles form crusts. Chickenpox is characterized by the simultaneous existence of elements at different stages of development and the emergence of new ones (addition).

The chickenpox rash causes intense itching, and scratching may infect the vesicles with the formation of pustules. When pustules heal, they can leave behind a scar (pockmark). Uninfected vesicles do not leave scars, and once the crusts are separated, healthy new epithelium is revealed. When rash elements suppurate, the general condition usually worsens and intoxication worsens. The rash in adults is usually more profuse, and in the vast majority of cases pustules form from the vesicles.

The rash spreads over almost the entire surface of the body with the exception of the palms and soles, mainly localized in the scalp, face, and neck. Falling asleep (the appearance of new elements) is possible for 3-8 days (in adults, as a rule, they are accompanied by new feverish waves). Intoxication subsides simultaneously with the cessation of sleep. The rash may appear on the mucous membranes of the mouth, genitals, and sometimes on the conjunctiva. Bulk elements on the mucous membranes progress to erosion and ulcers. In adults, the rash may be accompanied by lymphadenopathy; for children, involvement of the lymph nodes is not typical.

In addition to the typical course, there is an erased form of chickenpox, which occurs without signs of intoxication and with a short-term rare rash, as well as severe forms, distinguished by bullous, hemorrhagic and gangrenous. The bullous form is characterized by a rash in the form of large flabby blisters, leaving long-healing ulcerative defects after opening. This form is typical for people with severe chronic diseases. The hemorrhagic form is accompanied by hemorrhagic diathesis; small hemorrhages are observed on the skin and mucous membranes, and nosebleeds may occur. The vesicles have a brownish tint due to hemorrhagic contents. In persons with a significantly weakened body, chickenpox can occur in a gangrenous form: rapidly growing vesicles with hemorrhagic contents open to form necrotic black crusts, surrounded by a rim of inflamed skin.

Complications of chickenpox

In the vast majority of cases, the course of chickenpox is benign; complications are observed in no more than 5% of patients. Among them, diseases caused by secondary infection predominate: abscesses, phlegmon, and in severe cases, sepsis. A dangerous, difficult-to-treat complication is viral (chickenpox) pneumonia. In some cases, chicken pox can provoke keratitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, nephritis, arthritis, and hepatitis. Severe forms of diseases in adults are prone to complications, especially with concomitant chronic pathologies and a weakened immune system. In children, complications are observed in exceptional cases.

Diagnosis of chickenpox

Diagnosis of chickenpox in clinical practice is made on the basis of a characteristic clinical picture. A general blood test for chickenpox is nonspecific; pathological changes can be limited to an acceleration of ESR, or signal an inflammatory disease with an intensity proportional to the general intoxication symptoms.

Virological research involves identifying virions by electromicroscopy of vesicular fluid stained with silver. Serological diagnosis is retrospective and is performed using RSC, RTGA in paired sera.

Treatment of chickenpox

Chickenpox is treated on an outpatient basis, except in cases of severe disease with intense general intoxication manifestations. Etiotropic therapy has not been developed; in case of pustule formation, antibiotic therapy is resorted to for a short course in medium dosages. Persons with immune deficiency can be prescribed antiviral drugs: acyclovir, vidarabine, interferon alpha (new generation interferon). Early administration of interferon contributes to a milder and shorter-term course of the infection, and also reduces the risk of complications.

Chickenpox therapy includes skin care measures to prevent purulent complications: the vesicles are lubricated with antiseptic solutions: 1% solution of brilliant green, concentrated potassium permanganate (“brilliant”, “potassium permanganate”). Ulcerations of the mucous membrane are treated with hydrogen peroxide at a 3% dilution or ethacridine lactate. Intense itching in the area of ​​the rash is relieved by lubricating the skin with glycerin or wiping with diluted vinegar or alcohol. Antihistamines are prescribed as a pathogenetic agent. Pregnant women and patients with severe forms are prescribed a specific anti-chickenpox immunoglobulin.

Forecast and prevention of chickenpox

The prognosis is favorable, the disease ends in recovery. Vesicles disappear without a trace, pustules can leave smallpox scars. Significant deterioration in prognosis in persons with immunodeficiency and severe systemic diseases.

Prevention of chickenpox consists of preventing the introduction of infection into organized children's groups, for which quarantine measures are taken when cases of the disease are detected. Patients are isolated for 9 days from the moment the rash appears; children who have been in contact with sick people are separated for 21 days. If the day of contact with the patient is precisely determined, the child is not allowed into the children's group from 11 to 21 days after contact. Contact children who have not previously had chickenpox and with weakened immune systems are prescribed anti-chickenpox immunoglobulin as a preventive measure.

Recently, vaccination against chickenpox has begun to be used. For this purpose, the vaccines Varilrix (Belgium) and Okavax (Japan) are used.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious pathology of a viral nature with an acute course, manifested by fever and other signs of intoxication of the body, as well as the appearance of a vesicular-papular rash on the skin. Chickenpox became an independent disease only from the end of the 18th century; before that it was considered as a special form of ordinary smallpox. Scientists for the first time discovered the causative agent of the disease in the contents of the vesicles and proved the identity of the viruses that cause two completely different pathologies: chickenpox and shingles.

Chickenpox is the primary manifestation of a herpes viral infection that primarily affects skin cells in children. Clinical manifestations of the disease are: a characteristic itchy rash on the skin and severe intoxication syndrome. Herpes zoster develops in adults as a result of the transition of infection from a latent form to an active one. In this case, a draining rash appears on the human body.

Chicken pox is a typical childhood infection, which is currently one of the most common. Adults who did not have chickenpox in childhood can become infected in adulthood. Diagnosis of the disease is not difficult, does not require additional examination of the patient and is based on a typical clinical picture. Treatment of the pathology is antiviral and symptomatic. Antiseptic treatment of vesicles is necessary to prevent secondary infection.

Etiology

The causative agent of the disease is herpes virus type 3, which contains a DNA molecule and a lipid membrane, which ensures its lifelong residence in the spinal roots. The virus is capable of replication only in the human body. It quickly penetrates nerve cells and destroys them, forming intracellular inclusions.

Varicella Zoster is a fairly large microbe, visible under a regular light microscope. It is detected in the serous exudate of vesicles from the 3rd day of the disease. The virus has weak resistance to external factors and is quickly inactivated by heating and cooling, exposure to ultraviolet radiation and disinfectants.

Epidemiology

The contagiousness of the Varicella Zoster virus reaches almost 100%. Pathology develops after contact with pathogen carriers - sick people who are most infectious in the last days of incubation and within nine days from the moment the first rash appears.

The mechanism of infection transmission is aerosol, carried out by airborne droplets. The virus is able to travel long distances, move to the next floor and spread through ventilation. Transplacental infection of the fetus occurs.

One hundred percent susceptibility to the smallpox virus is explained by its volatility. The risk group consists of people who have not had chickenpox and are unvaccinated. Even fleeting contacts with sick people can result in chickenpox infection.

The peak incidence occurs in the cold season - autumn and winter. City dwellers get sick much more often than rural residents.

Immunity after chickenpox is persistent and tense. Latent virus carriage is often formed, in which microbes accumulate in the cells of the nerve ganglia and are activated when the body’s defenses decrease. In persons with severe immunodeficiency under stress, acclimatization, HIV infection and after transplantation, repeated chickenpox may develop after contact with sick people.

Children aged 5-9 years are most susceptible to chickenpox. attending schools and kindergartens. Newborns do not get chickenpox due to the presence of maternal antibodies in the blood. Adults and children over 12 years of age become infected extremely rarely. They have a hard time with pathology and take a long time to recover from it.

In groups, chickenpox becomes epidemic in nature and requires a number of preventive measures.

Pathogenesis

Varicella Zoster, together with inhaled atmospheric air, enters the human body and settles on the surface of the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory organs. Accumulating in epithelial cells, the microbe penetrates the circulatory and lymphatic systems. This period is manifested by a pronounced intoxication syndrome: fever and other nonspecific symptoms. With the blood flow, microbes are spread throughout the body and become fixed in skin cells, causing local manifestations of pathology. Vesicles with chickenpox form after passing through 3 stages of development: spot - papule - vesicle.

Microbes destroy epithelial cells, cavities with serous contents are formed. The bubbles burst, and in their place crusts form, which fall off over time.

In persons with reduced immunity, complicated forms of pathology develop, and secondary infection of the rash often occurs. Chickenpox contributes to the exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Symptoms

The symptoms of chickenpox are so characteristic that they allow not only to suspect pathology, but also to make the correct diagnosis without additional research methods.

Manifestations of chickenpox

Forms of the disease:

• Chickenpox occurs most often in typical form with characteristic clinical signs. In addition to it, erased and complicated forms are distinguished.
• Erased form manifests itself as a short-term appearance of a rare rash and occurs without intoxication syndrome.
• Bullous form- instead of blisters, bullae appear on the skin, leaving non-healing ulcerative defects in their place.
• Hemorrhagic form- the appearance of brown blisters with blood on the skin.
• Gangrenous form develops in individuals with severe immunodeficiency. The vesicles quickly grow, open, and in their place black crusts with a zone of hyperemia form.

The typical form of chickenpox is benign, while complicated ones often result in encephalitis, myocarditis, pyoderma, and lymphadenitis.

In adults, intoxication syndrome is more pronounced than in children. A prolonged period of the rash is accompanied by severe itching. A bacterial infection often occurs and complications develop.

Diagnostics

Diagnostic methods for studying patients with chickenpox:

1. Virological method: Using electromicroscopy, chickenpox virus is isolated from the contents of the vesicles.
2. Serological test: Compliment binding reaction and passive hemagglutination. Enzyme immunoassay - determination of antibodies to the varicella zoster virus in the patient's blood. Class M immunoglobulins indicate the acute period of the disease and appear during the incubation period. Immunoglobulins G appear at 2 weeks and persist for life, they protect the human body from re-infection.
3. Polymerase chain reaction is the basis of the genetic method and is aimed at detecting the DNA molecule of the virus.
4. Immunological examination.
5. For general clinical tests include: general blood test, general urine test.

These diagnostic methods are not always used. Specialists easily make a diagnosis, taking into account only the patients’ complaints and the data obtained during the examination. Tests are prescribed when complications develop.

Treatment

Children easily get chickenpox. Complications in the form of suppuration of a rash, abscesses, gangrene, pneumonia or sepsis develop in 5% of patients. Possible damage to the kidneys, liver and heart.

Mild forms of chickenpox are treated with antipyretics and brilliant green, which is applied to the rash. In all other cases, complex treatment of the disease is indicated, including etiotropic, pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy.

Etiotropic treatment of the pathology is aimed at destroying the virus, which, after recovery, remains in the body and can subsequently cause shingles. Therefore, antiviral therapy is simply necessary. Most viruses will die or remain inactive for a long time.

• Patients are prescribed antiherpetic drugs for oral administration - Zovirax, Isoprinosine, as well as drugs for topical use - Acyclovir ointment. "Valcicon" and "Devirs" are modern and effective drugs for the treatment of chickenpox.
• Immunomodulators – interferon preparations, “Bronchomunal”, “Amiksin”.
• Immunostimulants – “Derinat”, “Imudon”, “IRS-19”, “Neovir”.
• For secondary bacterial infection, patients are prescribed 3rd generation cephalosporins.

Pathogenetic therapy

1. Experts recommend that patients eat frequently, in small portions, excluding fatty meat products from the diet and enriching it with vitamins. A vegetable-dairy diet and frequent exposure to fresh air are recommended.
2. Bed rest and abundant alkaline drinking are indicated for patients with severe pathology.
3. Acne with chickenpox must be smeared with various external means - ointments, lotions, solutions. Elements of the rash are usually treated with brilliant green. Rubbing the skin with vinegar diluted 1 to 1 with boiled water and sprinkling with talcum powder will help reduce itching. Treatment of the oral mucosa involves rinsing with furacillin. For conjunctivitis, apply Acyclovir ointment and drop albucid into the eyes.
4. Multivitamins.

Symptomatic treatment of chickenpox involves using:

Ultraviolet irradiation accelerates the process of crusts falling off.

To eliminate itching, you can use pine baths. Lesions on the mucous membranes and skin are lubricated with sea buckthorn oil or rosehip oil.

If your child has any of the following symptoms, call a doctor immediately:

1. If your body temperature rises above 37 degrees and stays at this level for several days,
2. If the number and size of the rashes increase, they change, become bluish or bloodshot,
3. If rashes appear on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, conjunctiva of the eyes, genitals,
4. If chickenpox is atypical,
5. If you experience a cough, runny nose, or nosebleeds,
6. If breathing is impaired, diarrhea and vomiting, drowsiness, and convulsions occur.

Many parents are interested in the question: is it possible to bathe a child with chickenpox? Experts are still arguing about this. If a child has a high body temperature, there are ulcers on the skin or complications have developed, then it is better to avoid bathing until the acute period subsides. If the child’s condition is satisfactory, water procedures are necessary. Dirt and sweat getting on the rash will cause additional suppuration and increase the itching. You should bathe in warm water without using a washcloth.

Prevention

The probability of contracting chickenpox after contact with a sick person is more than 90%. Chickenpox is a poorly controlled infection. The range of medications and preventive medications is relatively small. Currently, Japanese and Belgian vaccines have been developed and are actively used - Varilrix, Okavax, Varivax, Prevenar, Pneumo-23. They are made from a live, attenuated viral culture and are effective for 10-20 years. The drugs are administered 2 times at intervals of several months. Immediately after vaccination, natural, long-term immunity begins to form. Abroad, chickenpox vaccines are included in the national vaccination calendar. In our country, children are vaccinated at the request of their parents. Vaccination is carried out 2 times a year.

If contact with a patient with chickenpox has already occurred, the vaccine will not eliminate the disease, but will make it easier. It must be administered within 3 days after contact with a sick or infected person.

Specific immunoglobulins are used for passive immunoprophylaxis of chickenpox and herpes. They are administered to persons with immunodeficiency; newborn children whose mothers did not have chickenpox; children with severe decompensated forms of diseases; persons who do not have natural immunity.

If a pathology is detected in a child attending an organized group, he or she must be isolated for 7-10 days. He must stay at home to prevent the spread of infection. Children who have been in contact with a person with chickenpox are isolated for three weeks. The institution declares a quarantine: they do not transfer pupils to other groups and do not accept new children. The room is regularly ventilated, and children are taken out into fresh air as often as possible. No special disinfection procedures are required; wet cleaning is sufficient. Contact children are constantly examined, thermometry is carried out, staff are instructed, a drinking regime is established and a quartz schedule is developed.

Children suffer from chickenpox easily, so pediatricians and infectious disease specialists recommend not hiding your child from the disease. You only get chickenpox once in a lifetime, and it will be better if it happens in childhood. In adulthood, the pathology is much more difficult to tolerate and is often accompanied by the development of complications.

Video: chickenpox, “Doctor Komarovsky”

Video: chickenpox in the “Live Healthy” program

Chickenpox (popularly known as chickenpox) is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus of the Herpesviridae family and characterized by the presence of a special maculopapular-vesicular rash. The majority of patients are children, but cases of morbidity are not uncommon in adults. Chickenpox usually has a benign course - complications occur in only 2% of those who have been ill.

Causes, epidemiology and mechanisms of development of chickenpox

The causative agent of the disease is a virus of the Herpesviridae family – Varicella Zoster. When it enters the human body for the first time, it causes chickenpox, and if the virus is unnoticed in the body for a long time (persists in it), under the influence of some unfavorable factors it is activated and causes another unpleasant disease -.

The virus that causes chickenpox is unstable to environmental influences - its survival outside the body is no more than 10 minutes.

The source of infection is a sick person. It becomes contagious 2–3 days before the appearance of the rash elements and remains so until the 5th day from the moment the last rash element appears.

The mechanism of transmission of infection is airborne (the virus spreads easily by talking, sneezing and coughing). It is worth noting that chickenpox is a highly contagious (infectious) infection - susceptibility to it tends to 100%.

The entry point for infection is the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Invading the epithelium of the mucous membranes, the virus enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body, settling in skin cells. As a result, the following changes occur in its surface layers, replacing each other:

• capillaries expand - a spot forms;
• some of the fluid leaks from the vessels into the skin, that is, serous edema occurs - a papule is formed;
• the epidermis in the affected areas peels off, forming a bubble, or vesicle.

The waste products of the virus enter the bloodstream and cause symptoms of intoxication.

The result of the infection is persistent (often lifelong) immunity.

Clinical manifestations of chickenpox

The incubation period of the disease is 13–17 days, in some cases – 11–21 days.

A few days before the appearance of the rash, the patient notes an increase in weakness, headache, and fever - this is the so-called prodromal period. It should be noted that in children this period can be generally asymptomatic, but for adults, its clinical picture is more pronounced.

The period of rashes in children is often mild, without any significant disturbance in their general condition. Simultaneously with the onset of fever or a couple of hours after its onset, the first rashes appear on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, chest, shoulders, and later on the face and head:

• at first they look like round spots 5–10 mm in diameter;
• a tubercle or papule appears in the center of the spot;
• after some time, the top of the papule peels off, and the papule becomes a vesicle (vesicle) 8–12 mm in diameter with colorless contents inside;
• The vesicle dries out after 1–2 days, forming a crust that falls off without leaving scars or pigmentation.

Since new rashes appear in spurts, all of the above elements of the rash are simultaneously present on the patient’s skin - in medicine this phenomenon is called “false polymorphism.”

The appearance of rashes is accompanied by intense itching.

In parallel with the skin rash, rashes also appear on the mucous membranes. They look like blisters, which after some time turn into ulcers surrounded by a red rim. In most cases, each patient has no more than 3 such elements. They heal within 2 days.

The febrile period of the disease is 2–5 days, in some cases up to 10 days. The period of rash ranges from 2 to 9 days.

Complications of chickenpox

In most cases, chickenpox is benign, but some of its forms (bullous, gangrenous, hemorrhagic) threaten with possible complications in the form of pyoderma, encephalitis, myocarditis, etc.

A serious complication is sepsis, which develops as a result of a secondary infection. Chickenpox pneumonia is also dangerous - it is very severe and often cannot be treated with antibiotics.

If an expectant mother catches chickenpox 4–5 days before giving birth, the likelihood of her child getting sick increases to 17%, and 30% of sick newborns, alas, die.

Diagnosis of the disease

Nowadays, when smallpox has been completely eliminated, suspecting chickenpox is not a problem for a doctor. A preliminary diagnosis is made based on the patient’s complaints, medical history and initial examination (presence of special rashes on the skin).

In a general blood test with chickenpox, an increase in ESR is possible. There is usually no need for specific laboratory diagnostic methods.

Chicken pox: treatment

People with chickenpox usually receive treatment on an outpatient basis.

The first mandatory component of chickenpox treatment is bed rest for the period of fever.

A special diet for chickenpox is not prescribed, but drinking plenty of fluids is an integral part of treatment, since it performs a very important function - detoxification (relieves the body of toxins).

Drug treatment is carried out both general and local. General may include medications of several groups:

• antiviral drugs (Acyclovir is considered the most effective in this regard, but for mild forms of the disease it is not prescribed);
• antihistamines - prescribed if the rash is accompanied by intense itching;
• – prescribed to reduce fever (usually Ibuprofen and Paracetamol are used, aspirin is contraindicated in this case due to the risk of a serious complication – Reye’s syndrome);
• in case of purulent complications of the disease - antibacterial drugs.

Local treatment includes careful care of the affected skin, aimed at preventing secondary infection of the rash elements. Typically, a solution of brilliant green, potassium permanganate or Fukortsin is used to treat rashes.

To avoid residual marks at the site of the rash, it is strongly recommended not to pick off the crusts.

Since the virus is unstable in the external environment, you should regularly carry out wet cleaning and frequently ventilate the room.

Prevention

At present, however, it is not included in the calendar of scheduled preventive vaccinations.

Which doctor should I contact?

Chicken pox is treated by a pediatrician. If the disease is severe, especially in adults, the help of an infectious disease specialist is necessary.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious and common childhood infection. To understand how this disease is transmitted and how it differs from other viral diseases, every mother should learn more about the causative agent of chickenpox. What kind of virus is this, what is its resistance to the external environment and is it related to herpes viruses?

Chickenpox and herpes viruses - are they the same thing or not?

Chickenpox is caused by a virus called Varicella Zoster in both children and adults. Due to the fact that in adulthood this virus causes a disease called herpes zoster, some confusion arises. In fact, the occurrence of herpes on the lips or genitals is provoked by a completely different virus. It is called Herpes simplex or herpes simplex virus, which is of two types - 1 and 2. At the same time, the Varicella Zoster virus is a herpes virus type 3.

However, all these viruses can be called “relatives”, since both the herpes simplex virus and the Varicella Zoster virus are representatives of a large family of herpes viruses.

It turns out that herpes on the lips or genitals is caused by a virus similar to chickenpox in its structure, but it is a completely different pathogen.

Herpes simplex viruses and the causative agent of chickenpox have a lot in common:

• They are DNA-containing viruses, the structure of which consists of a core and a capsid (an envelope consisting of capsomeres).
• The Herpes simplex virus enters the human body in the same ways as the chickenpox pathogen - mainly by airborne droplets and contact.
• When entering the body of a vulnerable person, all herpes viruses attack the mucous membranes and skin, and then penetrate the nervous tissue, remaining in the body for many years.
• Antiviral drugs that are effective against Herpes simplex also inhibit the Varicella Zoster virus, therefore they are used for severe chickenpox.
• Both types of viruses can affect the formation of the fetus, causing serious pathologies and miscarriage.

As for the distinctive features of the chickenpox pathogen, despite the same family, the chickenpox and herpes zoster virus provokes an acute infection, leaving behind lasting immunity. At the same time, the infection caused by Herpes simplex is chronic, and immunity to such a virus is not formed.

How long does it live in the human body and beyond?

Having penetrated the child's body once, the chickenpox pathogen remains in the human body for life. It remains in the nervous tissue in an inactive state and in 10-20% of adults over 45 years of age provokes the appearance of herpes zoster.

At the same time, the persistence of the Varicella Zoster virus outside the human body is very low. Its destruction in the air and indoors is facilitated by the rays of the sun, temperature changes, and disinfectant solutions. Because of this, the chickenpox pathogen can only stay in the open air for up to 10-15 minutes. That is why cases of transmission of such an infection through third parties and objects practically do not occur.

At the same time, the chickenpox virus is characterized by its rather high volatility - it can fly tens of meters from a sick person with particles of mucus. For this reason, residents of the same apartment building or children in the same kindergarten, even from different groups, can become infected with chickenpox.

If a sick child is in the same room with healthy ones, only 5-10 minutes are enough for the virus to be transmitted to susceptible children, especially those with weakened immune systems.

How to distinguish chickenpox from enterovirus infection

Most viral infections begin the same way with fever and other symptoms of illness. Therefore, it is quite difficult to distinguish them from each other at first.

In addition, enterovirus infection has the following similarities with chickenpox:

• Children aged 3-10 years are most often affected.
• In the first 6 months, babies are protected by their mother’s antibodies.
• The pathogen enters through the mouth and upper respiratory tract.
• The body temperature of a sick child rises.
• Children experience weakness, headaches, drowsiness, and vomiting.
• Possible damage to the mucous membranes of the eyes.
• Congenital forms occur if the mother became infected during pregnancy.
• Such infections are treated mainly at home, and hospitalized in case of complications.
• Children are isolated during illness.

The main differences between the causative agents of these infections and the course of the diseases are presented in the table:

For more information about chickenpox and herpes, see Dr. Komarovsky’s program.

For information on the differences between chickenpox and herpes, see the program “Live Healthy.”

The disease is a viral infection that manifests itself as a watery skin rash, most often identified as a childhood disease, but also occurs in adults. It is believed that chickenpox is based on the herpes virus, which in this case is transmitted by airborne droplets during communication and close contact between children and adults. Most often this is a disease that manifests itself in children under 12 years of age. But sometimes adults also get it.

According to doctors, chickenpox in childhood is quite easy, which cannot be said about adults. They tolerate the disease quite hard, complications may appear. The causative agent of this disease, causes and methods of treatment will be discussed in this article.

In what places can you most often get chickenpox?

Most often, small children become infected with chickenpox in nurseries and kindergartens, schools, on playgrounds in the courtyard of a residential building, in children's cafes, etc. Due to the transmission of the virus by airborne droplets, the virus spreads quite easily when children are in mass places. no more than 2 times. This is different from chicken pox. The causative agent will be discussed below.

After experiencing an illness, antibodies are formed in the body, forming immunity to this disease. Therefore, adults who are convinced that they had chickenpox in childhood, popularly called chickenpox, contact a sick child without fear. It is often very difficult to understand that a child or adult has become infected with chickenpox, since the incubation period of the disease is twenty-one days. The causative agent of chickenpox has already settled in the body.

Therefore, a child infected with chickenpox continues to visit public places and spread the virus. Under such circumstances, an entire epidemic of chickenpox infection often occurs in kindergartens and schools. Doctors believe that widespread infection over a period of time will minimize further outbreaks of chickenpox. The pathogen (transmission methods are airborne) quickly enters the body; fleeting contact is enough for this.

Thus, having been ill at the same time, part of the group in kindergarten is a partial guarantee of the absence of chickenpox in children during this year.

The causative agent of chickenpox

Microbiology confirms that the causative agent of the disease is the Strongyloplasma varicella virus, which has an icosahedral shape. Refers to DNA-containing viruses.

There is an opinion that the variola virus and the herpes zoster virus are virions of the same virus, morphologically and structurally identical to the herpes simplex virus.

How does chickenpox manifest?

The causative agent of the disease is the third type of herpes viral infection.

Chickenpox is characterized by profuse rashes on the skin in the form of red blisters with liquid. Initially, the patient begins to experience severe itching, and then small rashes appear, which are subsequently filled with liquid.

When these bubbles burst, they leave marks. Sometimes pockmarks can persist as scars throughout life. It is not recommended to scratch rashes that have already appeared. They mainly cover the back, armpits, scalp, arms and legs, face and scalp. If an adult has chickenpox, then he experiences more difficulties due to rashes on the scalp and genitals due to the treatment.

In addition to itching and rashes, chickenpox is often accompanied by an elevated body temperature of 37-39 degrees, headache, and muscle weakness. In adults, it can stay at a level of 40 degrees or higher, muscle pain can be accompanied by cramps in the limbs, dizziness and nausea.

This is how chickenpox (the causative agent) manifests itself when diagnosed.

Symptoms and paths of the disease are reviewed. Let's move on to diagnosis and treatment.

Diagnostics

The onset of the disease is determined primarily by rashes on the skin.

For diagnosis, biochemical blood tests are performed to determine the herpes virus in the active phase. A urine test can also show the level of inflammation in the body.

This is how chickenpox is most often determined.

The pathogen and symptoms are interrelated.

Treatment

First of all, a sick child or adult must be isolated from society to eliminate the possibility of spreading the virus. It is advisable not to go outside; in sunlight, the rashes become larger. The treatment period for chickenpox is 2-3 weeks from the onset of the disease.

Treatment for chickenpox is comprehensive, aimed at combating the signs of the disease and increasing the level of immunity.

A number of antiviral drugs are prescribed to combat herpes. For adults in tablets or in the form of injections, for children more often in the form of liquid syrups. One of these drugs is Acyclovir. Chicken pox (the causative agent of the infection is the herpes virus) will go away much faster as a result of taking this remedy.

At elevated temperatures, adults and children are prescribed antipyretic drugs. For children in the form of rectal suppositories and syrups, for adults in tablets.

Antihistamines may be prescribed to relieve itching. It is very difficult for children to restrain themselves from scratching their skin.

In order to fight skin rashes, children spot-treat the blisters with a cotton swab dipped in brilliant green. During the day, process approximately 3-4 times. The rash continues for the first 3-4 days after the first manifestations of the disease.

It is not recommended for both children and adults to swim, since skin rashes do not heal in a timely manner when they come into contact with moisture. During the entire period of illness, you can take a bath no more than 3-4 times using a series of chamomile. The disinfecting, healing and drying properties of these herbs will have a positive effect on the treatment process. The causative agent of chickenpox in children is the same as in adults - type 3 herpes viral infection.

For adults, if it is not possible to treat chickenpox manifestations with brilliant green, it is recommended to carry out procedures using alcohol or an iodine alcohol solution.

To increase the protective properties of the body, children and adults are prescribed a complex of vitamins and immunomodulator drugs, for example “Immunal”.

How else is chickenpox treated? The causative agent of the infection is a virus, so treatment should be approached comprehensively.

It is important to review the diet of the sick child during treatment. Limited in outdoor walks and physical activity, weakened by the effects of the virus, the child needs additional energy, which he can get from food. Be sure to include dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and cereals based on cereals and legumes in the menu.

It is very important to maintain the level of water-alkaline balance in the body; the patient should drink a lot of water. To improve your health and quickly remove toxins, you can drink a decoction of rose hips, which well stimulate the liver and kidneys.

Treatment for chickenpox is most often carried out at home. But if a child or adult does not feel well, the temperature remains above 38 degrees, the issue of outpatient or inpatient treatment is decided. This is why the chickenpox pathogen is dangerous.

When treating chickenpox, it is very important to properly treat rashes on the face and the surface of the skin of the body. If there is a complication, the formation of pus, or inflammation, they will definitely leave scars. To prevent this, it is necessary to carry out treatment using a weak solution of potassium permanganate and alcohol.

If the disease is very severe, a course of antibiotic treatment is prescribed. In such cases, treatment may be delayed and take more than 20 days. The older the patient, the greater the likelihood of complications. In addition, due to the age of the patient, the process of treating rashes is more difficult. The skin of fair-haired people, genitals and face is almost impossible to treat with brilliant green. It leaves pigment that is undesirable for aesthetic reasons.

Every person experiences chickenpox once in their life. In rare cases, a person can become infected twice. After all, the causative agent of chickenpox is the herpes virus, and every person has it in the body.

If there are several children in a family and one of them gets chickenpox, then it is advisable to isolate the second one so that the infection does not spread. But if children are under 5 years old, sometimes parents deliberately allow a second child to become infected with the virus so that there are no serious consequences if they become infected with chickenpox in adulthood.

In fact, chickenpox falls into the category of fairly simple diseases. Fever and acute manifestations of the disease exist in the first three days. Then the patient feels well, and the matter remains with the healing of the skin rashes.

Considering that this is a viral infection, against the background of chickenpox, inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract may occur in parallel: bronchitis, tracheitis, pharyngitis or rhinitis.

Pregnancy and age up to one year

How does chickenpox manifest in pregnant women and infants?

The pathogen (characteristics are given above) can enter the body of a pregnant woman and an infant. What to do in this case? More on this below.

Due to the sterile conditions of the maternity hospital, the spread of chickenpox within the walls of the maternity ward practically does not occur. If a woman in labor has been infected with chickenpox, the child is placed in an isolated box. The mother is also isolated from other patients. In addition to diagnosing and treating chickenpox, a number of measures are taken to prevent the spread of the virus to other patients.

When pregnant women are infected with chickenpox, antiviral therapy is used using medications that do not penetrate the placenta and do not affect the fetus. Antibiotic treatment is excluded in this case. The patient is placed in a hospital, treatment is carried out under supervision. In late pregnancy, there is a risk of the baby becoming infected with chickenpox during childbirth.

A complex disease can cause miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy and premature birth in later stages.

The main prevention of chickenpox is disinfection and sterilization of the premises where the patient was.

Prevention at home

How is chickenpox prevented? The causative agent, the transmission routes have been considered by us. Therefore, after completing the course of treatment for chickenpox, maximum ventilation is carried out in the room where the patient was. Bed linen and towels are washed and ironed. It is necessary to wash the patient's clothes.

Wet cleaning is carried out using chlorine-containing chemicals in the room where the patient was and in common areas.

When staying in a patient’s house or apartment, it is necessary to ensure complete isolation and visit the patient wearing a medical mask.

Provide the patient with dishes, towels, and personal hygiene products for personal use.

It must be remembered that chicken pox is quite dangerous for an adult. The causative agent and path of the disease are known to everyone.

Prevention in public places

In kindergartens and schools, constant sterilization and treatment of premises using chlorine is mandatory.

When diagnosing chickenpox in children, patients are isolated from healthy children.

In kindergartens and educational institutions, mass vaccination against antiviral diseases is carried out.

Personal prevention of chickenpox

To prevent the disease chicken pox (the causative agent of the disease is a virus), it is necessary to maintain immunity at the proper level. In order to increase the protective functions of the body, a complete diet is used using foods high in fiber, vitamins, and microelements.

• Take immunomodulatory drugs.
• Take vitamin complexes.
• In the risk zone, when visiting public places, antiviral ointments and medical masks are used.
• Antiviral vaccinations are used.
• When visiting patients with chickenpox, it is necessary to use antiviral agents, avoid contact and use a medical mask.

Who is more susceptible to chickenpox?

• People with weakened immune systems, those who have just had the disease, or those who already have inflammatory diseases are more susceptible to the chickenpox virus.
• Children in nurseries and kindergartens. They have constant contact and easily transmit viral infection to each other by airborne droplets.
• Parents who have not previously had chickenpox are susceptible to infection if their children are sick. A sick child needs to be cared for, and most often this role falls to parents. In this case, if one of the parents has already had chickenpox, he should be entrusted with the responsibility of caring for the sick child.
• Teachers, nannies and other workers of kindergartens and educational institutions. They are forced to come into contact with sick children and are primarily at risk of contracting a viral infection.
• Pharmacy, trade and service workers. People in this profession are constantly in contact with the public and are at risk of becoming infected by airborne droplets with almost any viral infection.
• Doctors, nurses, medical staff. Due to their profession, they are unable to avoid contracting a viral infection.
• Close relatives and family of a patient with chickenpox. Without the possibility of isolation, being in the same living space with a sick person, they are constantly at risk of contracting the virus through airborne droplets.

Consequences of chickenpox

Since the causative agent of chickenpox (microbiology confirms this) is a virus, the main consequences in a child are a weakened immune system. Prolonged isolation, lack of fresh air, lack of appetite and infection by the virus worsen the child’s health. If chickenpox occurs with complications in an adult, this also reduces the level of his immunity.

After vigorous scratching, chicken pox rashes leave small scars in the form of holes on the skin. They can remain for life, which is not entirely aesthetically convenient.

In rare cases, after chickenpox, the patient may experience difficulties in the functioning of the kidneys and liver.

Due to prolonged use of alcohol-containing solutions, dry skin and various types of dermatitis may occur. To avoid such unpleasant consequences, after completing the course of treatment it is necessary to lubricate the skin with fatty creams, glycerin and other moisturizers.

Chickenpox is primarily considered a childhood disease. In adults, this is most often a secondary syndrome. Sometimes the virus is cumulative. If a person has already had chickenpox once, then upon contact with infected patients, chickenpox may manifest itself in the form of skin diseases, for example, shingles. Adults are most at risk of getting chickenpox again if they have a low immune system and are susceptible to illness.

In case of severe mass epidemics in public organizations and educational institutions, quarantine may be declared. Chickenpox belongs to the category of rapidly spreading viral infections, and during an epidemic, more than half of the team can become infected. In order to extinguish the outbreak of infection, in such cases a quarantine is declared. Because being in a society with a large number of adults or children whose incubation period lasts, when there is a possibility of spreading the infection, is undesirable.

The total period from the moment of infection to the end of treatment for chickenpox ranges from 2 weeks to 1 month. Within 10-12 days after the absence of obvious manifestations of the disease, the person is still a spreader of the infection. After completing treatment, doctors recommend not taking your child to school or kindergarten for another week. This is dangerous for other children by spreading the infection.

Sometimes chicken pox can only appear as itching and a rash. The pathogen and symptoms of the disease are often interrelated.

In children with a high level of activity, the disease is mild, without high body temperature, complications of skin rashes and general condition of the body.

Which doctor should I contact if I have chickenpox?

Typically, in children who go to kindergarten and school, a skin rash when infected with chickenpox is detected and diagnosed initially by a medical worker at the organization.

The second stage is visiting a local pediatrician or calling a doctor at home if the patient is not feeling well.

A local pediatrician diagnoses chickenpox and prescribes a course of treatment and medications to be used.

During outpatient treatment, constant monitoring of the patient by a pediatrician is necessary.

If the patient requires hospitalization, the local doctor writes a referral to a hospital, where further treatment is carried out.

If the patient has complications, the decision to hospitalize is made independently. To do this, an ambulance is called, after which further treatment is carried out within the walls of a medical institution.

If the infection occurred at home, then it is necessary to call a local pediatrician to determine the diagnosis and treatment procedure. Next, after the appointment, carry out treatment.

If an adult is infected with chickenpox, it is necessary to consult a general practitioner at a medical facility at the first manifestations of the rash. If the therapist has doubts, the examination is carried out by a dermatologist. Next, treatment is prescribed at home or on an outpatient basis. In case of complications, it is necessary to call an ambulance for hospitalization.

It is very easy to determine that a patient has chickenpox. Itching begins, and after scratching, small red pimples appear, which begin to appear more and more. Almost throughout the day the patient is completely covered. The tonsils, nasopharynx, and eyelid mucosa may become inflamed.

This is why chicken pox is dangerous. The causative agent and causes are discussed above.

Despite the fact that this is a fairly common viral disease that is widespread, we should not forget that it still has consequences.

The less attention is paid to the treatment of chickenpox, the more likely the occurrence of consequences that are undesirable for the health of especially the child’s body. Any virus affects the formation of a growing child. In addition, an advanced, severe disease can cause systemic changes, blood diseases, etc. In this regard, preventive measures and compliance with the treatment regimen should not be neglected.

What drugs are used to treat chickenpox?

• Alcohol solution of brilliant greens.
• Manganese solution.
• Glycerol.
• Alcohol.
• "Fukortsin".
• "Acyclovir" and its foreign-made analogues.
• Zovirax, other antiviral drugs.
• Antibiotics "Amoxiclav", penicillin group, tetracycline group.
• Vitamin complexes for children and adults.
• Antihistamines: Clarotodin, Suprastin or others of Russian and foreign origin.

When infected with chickenpox, it is important to promptly diagnose the disease and follow all necessary measures to isolate the patient and the doctor’s instructions. Under no circumstances should you interrupt treatment or go outside or into society before the prescribed time. For severe pockmarks on the face after chickenpox, treat the scars with Contratubeks ointment for 1 month. A month after the end of treatment, to diagnose the consequences, it is necessary to take biochemical blood and urine tests.

If necessary, you need to do an immunogram; based on the results of the diagnosis, it will be clear how negative the impact of the disease was on the human body.

In the article, we consider the causative agent of chickenpox, symptoms and methods of treating this disease.