Treatment and prevention of chicken pox

Chicken pox – an acute infectious disease of the virus nature. Chicken pox belongs to group антропонозов, i.e. it the person is ill only and to catch chicken pox from animals and birds it is impossible by definition.
In most cases children at the age from 5 till 9-10 years are ill. Adults are ill seldom, but in case of infection the disease at them proceeds especially hard.

The causative agent of chicken pox (Varicella) is the virus Varicella-zoster virus relating to DNA family - the containing viruses Herpetoviridae. So detailed description of family of viruses is possible and won't be interesting to the ordinary reader, but Herpes zoster belongs to Herpetoviridae family – the virus of herpes causing also shingles also. Moreover – many experts consider that the virus of chicken pox and a virus of herpes is the same virus which at the first hit in an organism causes chicken pox and the long time remains in cages of a spinal cord, and at decrease in immunity is shown in the form of simple herpes or shingles. The person who does not have immunity to a virus of chicken pox, can fall ill with chicken pox at contact to sick shingles.

As it is possible to catch chicken pox

To catch a virus of chicken pox it is possible from the person to the person an airborne way. The Kontagioznost (zaraznost) of this virus reaches 100 %, i.e. practically everything who contact to the patient and have no specific immunity, fall ill with chicken pox. It is possible to catch not only at close contact to the patient, but also at quite considerable distance (Mirsovetov emphasizes that in medical practice infection cases from the patient being on other floor of a building) are described. Immunity after the suffered chicken pox lifelong, but in case of a heavy immunodeficiency possibly and repeated infection. Possibly and pre-natal infection with a virus of chicken pox in the last some days of pregnancy. At pre-natal infection on early terms of pregnancy development of heavy developmental anomalies is possible.

Symptoms and course of a disease

The incubatory period, i.e. the period from the moment of infection with a virus and before emergence of the first symptoms of diseases, makes from 11 to 21 days, but on the average it lasts 2 weeks. Many know about high risk of a disease chicken pox and try not to contact to the patient. However Mirsovetov pays your attention that become a source of infection the patient two days prior to emergence in it obvious symptoms of a disease can also, during this period and there is a majority of infections. Sick chicken pox remains infectious till a podsykhaniye of crusts.
At the very beginning of a disease of any special symptoms of a disease chicken pox isn't present. Within about two days the child has weakness, slackness, lack of appetite, temperature if rises, is insignificant. In certain cases there are no also these symptoms and emergence of rash seems sudden and causeless. Rash can appear on any site of a body, the truth on the head and the person it appears a bit later. Emergence of new elements of rash has tolchkoobrazny character with an interval in two three days. Approximately in a third of cases rash appears and on mucous membranes of cheeks, a hard palate, gums and language, and at girls – on mucous genitals.
Character of vysypny elements at chicken pox is familiar to the majority of mothers and at their emergence seldom there are doubts in character of a disease, especially more in case of a similar disease in kindergarten or school. In certain cases similar rash can arise at stings of insects, contact dermatitis, an allergy to medicines therefore consultation of the doctor will be necessary in any case. In the beginning there are roundish specks of the different size (макулы), usually to 10 mm in diameter, then they rise over skin level in the form of small knots (papule), and are filled with transparent liquid (везикулы) which grows turbid subsequently later and there is a pupkoobrazny retraction in the vial center (пустула). In a day or two везикулы dry up and become covered by crusts which disappear without any traces, but there can sometimes be the small hems disappearing in some years. Distinctive feature of vysypny elements at chicken pox is their false polymorphism (variety), i.e. at the same time on skin it is possible to see different vysypny elements though actually are the same elements of rash, but during the different period of maturing.
Between emergence of the first and last elements of rash usually passes 7-8 days, and the interval between emergence of the first elements of rash and falling off of crusts makes two-three weeks. In certain cases chicken pox can proceed in the erased form without emergence of vysypny elements and it is possible to judge the suffered disease only on the basis of existence of the acquired immunity and absence of a disease even at close contact to the patient.

Methods of diagnostics of chicken pox

Diagnostics of chicken pox usually doesn't cause difficulties in the pediatrist, especially at existence in the anamnesis of contact to the patient with chicken pox. Character of rash and a variety of vysypny elements (false polymorphism), and also time of their emergence allows to diagnose chicken pox without any additional methods of inspection.
However in certain cases at the atypical course of a disease there is a need for carrying out the differential diagnosis with simple herpes and herpetic quinsy, a streptodermiya, vezikulezny rikketsiozy, stings of fleas and other insects. The most indicative is virus allocation in culture of fabrics at electronic microscopy. When using serologichesky methods of diagnostics – indicative is more than quadruple increase титра antibodies in reaction of linkage of a compliment. Also characteristic changes for a virus infection in composition of peripheral blood (taken of a vein, a finger) can be useful to chicken pox diagnostics.

Treatment of chicken pox

At children's age chicken pox is suffered rather easily and doesn't cause any complications, but 5-7 % of patients can have suppurations of vysypny elements on skin (up to abscesses and gangrene), pneumonia, sepsis. A virus of chicken pox heart, kidneys, a liver can sometimes be surprised.
Any specific treatment at chicken pox doesn't exist and it consists in treatment at home with application of symptomatic therapy. A food during an illness should be a frequent and small amount of food with the reduced quantity of "heavy" meat products and the raised content of vitamins. At a hyperthermia febrifugal preparations (Mirsovetov especially emphasizes that use of acetilsalicylic acid during this period is excluded, in order to avoid syndrome development the Yard – toxic defeat of a liver and a brain) are applied. Elements of rash are processed by 1 % diamond greens (with appearance of the child, from feet to the head smeared in brilliant green, at many and chicken pox associates) or 5-10 % solution of permanganate of potassium (potassium permanganate). For prevention of infection of vysypny elements carefully observe rules of personal hygiene. Nails are desirable for cutting very shortly that the child not especially actively combed itching vials. At very strong itch skin can be rubbed off the vinegar dissolved half-and-half with boiled water and to powder with talc.
In case of emergence of complications at chicken pox apply anti-herpetic antiviral preparations (acyclovir), видарбин, a specific anti-herpetic antibody, leykotsitarny human interferon, antibiotics at accession of a secondary infection, interferon preparations, however such treatment it is carried out only in the conditions of a hospital.

Prevention of chicken pox

Specific methods of prevention in Russia and in Europe aren't used, though in some countries the varitsello-zoster a vaccine in the first three days after contact to the patient is applied. For active immunoprevention of herpes and chicken pox abroad use also specific attenuirovanny vaccine. Application of specific antibodies for prevention of chicken pox of herpes expediently only at pregnant women and children with heavy dekompensirovanny forms of diseases and not having natural immunity.

When it is possible to go to kindergarten?

The child who has fallen ill chicken pox, isolate from other children before disappearance of crusts or till fifth day since emergence of the last vysypny elements. Other children under 7 years not having immunity to chicken pox and contacting to the sick child, send on quarantine, i.e. the ban on visit of preschool institutions on three weeks, since day of contact is imposed.