The Chicken Pox

What is the Chicken pox?

• Chickenpox is a viral infection in which a person develops extremely itchy blisters all over the body.

• It is extremely common in children under 12.• Once you have it, the virus remains

dormant.

Signs and Symptoms• a red, itchy skin rash and insect-like

bites that usually appears first on the abdomen or back and face, and then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body.

• Flu-like symptoms: high fever, abdominal pain, sore throat, headache.

Causes / how it spreads• Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster

virus, a member of the herpesvirus family.• You may get chickenpox from touching the

fluids from a chickenpox blister, or if someone with the disease coughs or sneezes near you.

• A person with chickenpox become contagious 1 to 2 days before their blisters appear and lasts until all the blisters have crusted over.

Treatments / Remedy:• Vaccine: a vaccine can be given to a child. 85%

effective.• Antibiotics can be given to a child if his/her sores

become infected.• In the end, time is the only thing that fully cures it.

• Ways to help make illness more comfortable:– calamine lotion – oatmeal or warm baths– Bland food if pox are in the mouth

• NEVER USE ASPRIN!: Use of aspirin while having chicken pox has been associated with a serious condition called Reyes Syndrome.

What to do as a teacher to prevent and handle chicken

pox in the classroom:• If an outbreak occurs, have all children

checked for symptoms.• Remind parents to have their child

vaccinated.• Make sure the child with chickenpox be

kept out of school until all blisters have dried, usually about 1 week.

• make sure your students wash their hands frequently, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom.

Works Cited:Dowshen, MD, Steven. "Chickenpox."

KidsHealth. The Nemours Foundation, Nov. 2009. Web. 27 Jan. 2012. <http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/chicken_pox.html>.

"Chickenpox - PubMed Health." National Library of Medicine. 2 Aug. 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002559/>.