A chickenpox , also called chickenpox, a typical childhood infection, is caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus. Despite being highly contagious, the disease tends to be mild and limited in children.
The death in Chile of Brazilian bodybuilder Raphael Casanova, aged 38, after contracting chickenpox, drew attention to the risks of infection in adults. The cause of death was confirmed to CNN by Raphael’s sister, Juh Casanova.
Chickenpox causes inflammation of the skin, associated with itching, which leads to the visible appearance of irritation that is most characteristic of the disease. Skin lesions quickly evolve into blisters, forming dry crusts, within three to seven days.
In children, the infection is usually benign and self-limiting. In adults with a normal immune system, called immunocompetent, the disease tends to be more severe than in children, despite being much less frequent (about 3% of cases). The fever is higher and longer, the general condition is more compromised, the skin lesions are more pronounced and the most common complications can lead to death, mainly due to primary pneumonia.
“Chickenpox can be more serious in adults. Usually, the immune response can be more exuberant and the disease more severe, but this is not the rule. It is not often that chickenpox in adults will develop forms of severity. It is possible to have complications from chickenpox, mainly skin lesions, secondary infections or what we call visceralization, which is when the chickenpox virus causes disease outside the skin, affecting the central nervous system, such as meningitis or inflammation of the liver, hepatitis”, explains infectologist Álvaro Furtado, from Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo.
herpes zoster
Once acquired the virus, the person is immune to chickenpox. However, it remains in the body for life and can be reactivated, causing a condition called herpes-zoster.
“Nowadays, most people are vaccinated against chickenpox or chickenpox. Those who came into contact may have the latent virus and develop it during some form of immunosuppression, whether due to an illness or a problem that the person is experiencing that reduces immunity,” explains dermatologist Reinaldo Tovo Filho, from Hospital Sírio-Libanês.
Reactivation occurs in adulthood and is more common in immunocompromised people, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The clinical picture, characterized by painful skin manifestations, can be benign or progress to severe forms.
“The localized form of chickenpox, which usually appears on the back, although it can appear elsewhere, just on one side, is known as herpes zoster. It is a reactivation of this virus, which when the person comes into contact can, during immunosuppression, a decrease in immunity, then develop this condition”, explains Tovo Filho.
Complications
The main complications of chickenpox are associated with severe cases or inadequately treated cases. Patients may experience inflammation of the nervous system known as encephalitis, pneumonia, and skin and ear infections.
The disease can be more serious for newborns, pregnant women or anyone who has low immunity, such as people with AIDS, transplanted or undergoing chemotherapy for cancer treatment.
Streaming
Chickenpox is easily transmitted to other people. According to the Ministry of Health, contagion occurs through contact with the liquid in the blister or through coughing, sneezing, saliva or objects contaminated by the virus. Indirectly, it is transmitted through objects contaminated with secretions from vesicles and the skin of infected patients.
According to the ministry, chickenpox is rarely transmitted through contact with skin lesions. The incubation period for the virus is 4 to 16 days. Transmission takes place between 1 to 2 days before the appearance of skin lesions and up to 6 days later, when all lesions are in the crusting phase.
Vaccination
In 2013, the Ministry of Health introduced the tetraviral vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox), in the routine vaccination of children between 15 months and 2 years of age who have already been vaccinated with the first dose. of the triple viral vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella).
According to the ministry, the vaccine helps to contain the spread of chicken pox. Immunization is carried out in two doses, the first being applied from the 15th month of life. The National Immunization Program (PNI) provides a vaccine dose at 4 years of age, corresponding to the second dose of the scheme.
The Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP) and the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIM) recommend two doses of the varicella vaccine: the first at 12 months and the second between 15 and 24 months of age. These doses coincide with the triple viral vaccine vaccination scheme and, therefore, the tetra viral vaccine can be used in both doses.
Source: CNN Brasil
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