Chickenpox is caused due to a virus, and it is a common childhood illness that many kids under the age of 12 get. The illness causes a rash and flu-like symptoms. After the kid gets the virus, it takes around two to three weeks for the symptoms to manifest. Adults who have not had the illness during childhood can also get chickenpox, but the symptoms in them are more severe, and they are prone to complications, like pneumonia.

The symptoms of the illness vary from person to person. Some can get all the symptoms, while others get just a few. The main symptoms are low grade fever ranging from 101 degrees Fahrenheit to 105 degrees Fahrenheit; headache, pain in the back; characteristic red rash that turns into fluid-filled blisters; and sore throat.

Chickenpox is highly contagious and when a child gets it, he or she has to be kept at home, so that other children do not get infected. Chickenpox virus is transmitted through airborne droplets when the infected child or adult sneezes or coughs. The droplets contain the virus and when an uninfected person inhales the droplets and has never had chickenpox, he or she will get the illness. Usually, the uninfected person will suffer from infection of the epithelium of the lungs and respiratory tract. The virus incubates for around ten to twenty days before the initial symptoms appear. The first symptoms of chickenpox are low grade fever, swollen glands, headache and other flu-like symptoms. Thereafter, the person will get rash in the form of red spots. Soon the rash turns into fluid filled blisters. The fluid carries the virus. However, a kid or adult is infectious and can transmit the virus from two days before the rash appears until the blisters have crusted over.

The best way to avoid getting chickenpox is through vaccination. However, a person can still get the illness, but the severity is rather mild and it gets better faster than what non-vaccinated people. However, if a pregnant woman gets chickenpox, it is considered to be a serious health problem as it can lead to abnormalities in the fetus, causing formation of scar tissue in internal organs of the fetus and also result in neurological damage. Hence, pregnant women should immediately consult their doctors if they come in contact with a kid or adult suffering from chickenpox.

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