Chickenpox

Also called: Varicella
Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the varicella virus. Most cases occur in children under age 15 but older children and adults can get it. It spreads very easily from one child to another.
Symptoms include an uncomfortable, itchy rash, fever and headache. The rash is like blisters and usually appears on the face, scalp or trunk. The disease is usually mild and lasts 5 to 10 days, but it sometimes causes serious problems. Adults and older children tend to get sicker from it. Do not give aspirin to anyone sick with chickenpox since the combination might cause Reye Syndrome.
Once you catch chickenpox, the virus usually stays in your body forever. You probably will not get chickenpox again, but the virus can cause shingles in adults. A chickenpox vaccine can help prevent most cases of chickenpox, or make it less severe if you do get it.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Chickenpox(Nemours Foundation)
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Chickenpox (Varicella)(Logical Images)
JAMA Patient Page: Chickenpox(American Medical Association)
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Overviews
Chickenpox(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Varicella Disease (Chickenpox)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Latest News
Chickenpox Vaccine Not Tied to Strokes in Kids(01/27/2009, Reuters Health)
Treatment
Varicella Treatment Questions and Answers(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Prevention/Screening
Chickenpox Vaccination: Is It 100 Percent Effective?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Chickenpox Vaccine: What You Need to Know(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF
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Varicella Vaccine (Chickenpox)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Return to top
Specific Conditions
Other In Utero TORCH Infections(Children's Hospital Boston) Return to top
Related Issues
Postherpetic Neuralgia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Reye Syndrome(Nemours Foundation)
Varicella (Chickenpox): Health Information for International Travel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Return to top
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Chickenpox (Varicella) Photos(Immunization Action Coalition) Return to top
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Chickenpox(National Institutes of Health) Return to top
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References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Shingles vaccination is likely to be cost effective at age...
Article: Post-transplant varicella infection.
Article: Retrospective financial analysis of a herpes zoster vaccination program from...
Chickenpox -- see more articles Return to top
Organizations
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Return to top
Law and Policy
Varicella Prevention Mandates(Immunization Action Coalition) Return to top
Children
Chickenpox(Nemours Foundation)
Also available in Spanish
Chickenpox and Children with Asthma(American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology)
What Makes Chickenpox Itch?(Nemours Foundation)
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Women
Chickenpox (Varicella)(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Also available in SpanishReturn to top
Adults
Facts about Chickenpox and Shingles for Adults(National Foundation for Infectious Diseases) - Links to PDF Return to top
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Date last updated: 28 January 2009 Topic last reviewed: 08 April 2009