Varicella
- Varicella (chickenpox)
- Primary infection during childhood
- Lasts 6 days in immunocompetent persons
- Transmission
- Highly contagious
- Airborne transmission
- Incubation period 2 weeks
- Clinical features
- Lesions covering the entire body
- Severe pruritus
- Macules -> papules -> vesicles with erythematous base -> crusts
- All of these stages are present simultaneously, which is a hallmark for the disease
- Fever
- Virus remains latent in sensory ganglia
- Diagnosis
- Clinical -> characteristic rash
- Tzanck smear, PCR
- Treatment
- For pruritus
- Calamine lotion
- Pramoxine gel
- Oral antihistamines
- Therapy
- Only for severe cases or high-risk groups (adults, immunosuppressed)
- Acyclovir
- Post-exposure prophylaxis
- Active immunization (vaccine)
- Passive immunization (immunoglobulins)
- For pruritus
- Prevention
- Vaccination
- Complication
- Bacterial superinfection
- Impetigo
- Phlegmon
- Scarring
- Congenital varicella syndrome (if chickenpox during pregnancy)
- Bacterial superinfection