The Varicella-Zoster virus, better known as chickenpox, is highly volatile. It is capable of being carried by air currents over impressive distances, transmitted through flights of stairs and ventilation ducts in crowded places. The human body is extremely susceptible to the virus: if there is no immunity, then a person who has been in contact with the source of the virus will get sick in almost any case.

This virus has been known since ancient times, and in the Middle Ages the symptoms of the disease were clearly described by Avicenna. The Russian name appeared due to the high virulence of the disease: indeed, it seems that you can catch chickenpox “from the wind.” How chickenpox is transmitted in children is evidenced by the fact that when one child in a class gets sick, about 90% of the children become ill within a few weeks or a month.

And the disease received the second part of its name - smallpox - because of its skin manifestations: outwardly, they are very reminiscent of the manifestations of smallpox - a terrible disease from which humanity managed to get rid of. Fortunately, chickenpox has nothing in common with real smallpox.

Features of virus transmission

Many people, when there is a threat of infection, have a logical question: how is chickenpox transmitted in adults and children? This is exclusively an airborne way of spreading infection. There are prejudices that chickenpox can be caught by using the patient’s objects, from a third person, or simply from the air from the window. This is completely groundless: remember that chickenpox is transmitted exclusively by coughing, sneezing, or conversation between a person and the patient.

In other cases, transmission of the virus is practically impossible: it is very unstable in the external environment and lives outside the carrier of the infection for a few minutes. Why, then, is the infectiousness of chickenpox so high? The fact is that a patient becomes infectious approximately one day before symptoms appear. No one can predict that an apparently healthy person is a carrier of the virus. Therefore, it is not possible to isolate him from others.

The patient retains the ability to infect others until the moment when the last crusts begin to dry out. Only after the last blisters have dried is the patient considered non-infectious and can be allowed into contact with healthy people.

How is chickenpox transmitted from children to adults? Many people think that this is impossible. This is not true: transmission occurs in the same way as from child to child, it’s just that most adults already have immunity to this disease.

Varicella virus is a herpes virus that can cause not only chickenpox, but also shingles. It goes like this. The virus remains in the human body after illness, but remains in an inactive state. But under favorable conditions, the virus can become active and cause the disease again, in this case, shingles. At the same time, it is quite possible that an adult patient with symptoms of this disease can infect a child with the virus, and in the latter it will manifest itself in the form of chickenpox. The reverse mechanism, when an adult becomes infected with herpes zoster from a child with chickenpox, is impossible.

Course of the disease, possible consequences

Immunity acquired after an illness lasts a lifetime. In very rare cases of immune failure, re-infection is possible. In principle, chickenpox is mild and occurs without complications in children; they are possible in weakened and painful children.

Among the complications, the most common bacterial infection can be identified - abscesses, impetigo. Such complications are typical for chickenpox, since due to the itching that accompanies the rash, the child often scratches the rash with his hands and tears off the resulting crusts. This can also lead to other consequences: violation of the integrity of the epithelium when scratching the scabs makes wound healing take longer, and after the scabs fall off, scars remain that last for the rest of your life.

There are very severe cases of the disease, accompanied by complications such as otitis media, pneumonia, encephalitis, etc. The main stages of the disease in adults are the same as in children. Therefore, the treatment of symptoms is carried out in the same way. Adults experience the disease more severely and recovery takes longer. In this case, bacterial complications and encephalitis are very dangerous, which can sometimes lead to death.

Vaccination

In some countries, vaccination against chickenpox is included in the list of mandatory procedures. This is due to the desire to avoid possible complications. But in our country this vaccination is not mandatory. Moreover, its feasibility is generally questioned by some experts.

Chickenpox is one of the group of diseases that are best dealt with in childhood: the likelihood of developing consequences is very low, and immunity is developed for life. Vaccination does not have this effect, and its effect is limited. In addition, having had chickenpox, a person acquires immunity against herpes zoster. Vaccination does not do this.

An undoubted indication for vaccination is planning a pregnancy if the woman has not encountered this virus and is not immune. Due to the danger this virus poses to the fetus, vaccination is an excellent precautionary method.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for this virus. Basically, symptomatic treatment is used, the purpose of which is to reduce the itching of the blisters, reduce body temperature, if necessary, and strengthen the body. The disease goes away on its own in 7 or 10 days. It is rare for the temperature to persist throughout the illness; it usually normalizes within 2-3 days.

One of the goals of chickenpox treatment is to minimize the likelihood of scarring that will be impossible to get rid of. It is also necessary to prevent suppuration of the rash. For this purpose, the elements of the rash are lubricated with disinfectants: brilliant green, fucorcin, potassium permanganate solution, Castellani liquid and others.

Opinions are divided on whether it is worth bathing a child during this illness. Many are of the opinion that bathing is still necessary to prevent secondary spread of the rash. In this case, you cannot use different detergents and a washcloth. Wash the child in a solution of potassium permanganate and pat the skin dry with a soft towel, being careful not to damage the bubbles.

Treat your baby's skin with the utmost care. Change bedding and clothing frequently. Clothes should be soft, made from natural materials, and loose. At the same time, the shirt should have long sleeves and the legs should completely cover the legs. For small children, vests with mittens are used.

In order to minimize itching, antihistamines are used. To reduce body temperature, take paracetamol, ibuprofen and other antipyretics. If a child gets chickenpox, he is isolated at home for 10 days. In a school or kindergarten, if there has been a case of illness, a quarantine is declared for 21 days.

Complications in children are rare. Therefore, it is mainly treated at home, observing bed rest and following the advice of doctors. Sometimes chickenpox causes severe consequences for the body due to damage to internal organs: lungs, kidneys and even the brain. Such conditions require hospitalization and appropriate treatment.

Today we will talk about how chickenpox is transmitted in children and adults and about possible misconceptions associated with the routes of transmission of this disease. There are many sources on the Internet where they write about chickenpox and the routes of transmission, which are not always reliable. Even the well-known misconception that chicken pox can be treated exclusively with brilliant green can often be found on the Internet, but brilliant green has no therapeutic or antiviral effect.

How is chickenpox transmitted from person to person? Chickenpox is transmitted only by airborne droplets. When a child becomes infected with chickenpox, it is difficult to determine this fact. Because the incubation period of chickenpox is almost always longer than the latent period. This means that the first obvious symptoms of chickenpox will appear after a person who has contracted the Varicella zoster virus, which causes the disease, will be contagious for two or three days.

The human body is one hundred percent susceptible to the herpes virus Varicella zoster. This means that if a person is in the same room with a child or adult who is going through a period of contagiousness, then a healthy person will one hundred percent become infected with this disease. Many people think that if their child does not get sick while being with a virus carrier within an accessible distance for infection, then their child has good immunity. This is not true, it’s just that in this case chickenpox is tolerated in a mild form and does not produce large-scale symptoms.

What you need to know about chickenpox transmission

Varicella zoster is a type 3 herpes virus. This strain of herpesvirus is especially aggressive in finding a carrier. This allows it to infect all people living in a civilized society:

• as mentioned above, our body is completely susceptible to the chickenpox pathogen;
• Varicella zoster has good airborne transmission tactics, its volatility reaches hundreds of meters;
• The virus begins to be released from the infected person’s body before the first symptoms appear.

The virus is called “chickenpox” for a reason; sometimes it seems that it is contracted from the wind. This impression is created not only because of situations where a child has been in contact with a sick person, and the incubation period has not yet ended, but the period of contagiousness has already begun. The virus can be picked up from the house opposite if there is a patient with chickenpox there. That's why the disease is called "chickenpox".

The name smallpox was given because of the rashes and extensive skin lesions, but smallpox, which killed entire villages, and chickenpox are different diseases.

Facts about how you get chickenpox

We have looked at how chickenpox is transmitted in a general sense, now let’s look at this in more detail:

1. The chickenpox virus is transmitted from children to other children or adults when an infected child begins to sneeze and cough while infectious.
2. Chickenpox carriers stop transmitting the virus five days after the last rash.
3. The period of contagiousness begins two days before the manifestation, in the form of papules similar to insect bites.
4. Chickenpox can be transmitted to a child from an adult who has had a relapse of Varicella zoster in the form.
5. If a child has chickenpox, it is impossible to provoke shingles in an adult.
6. If an adult did not have chickenpox in childhood and there are no specific antibodies to the Varicella-zoster virus in the body, then the child will infect him with chickenpox, and not shingles.

Destroying myths about methods of infection with chickenpox

There are many misconceptions about whether chickenpox is transmitted through household contact and other myths associated with this disease. Let's look at them.

1. Chickenpox is transmitted through third parties. This is not true; the chickenpox virus survives very poorly in the environment. And unless a third party gets sick due to lack of immunity to the virus, it will not infect other people.
2. Varicella zoster is well adapted to everyday life. This myth is common because people use logic in relation to the volatility of the virus, but do not see the whole picture. The virus does not live in the environment for long, but spreads quickly through the wind.
3. The virus is transmitted through household methods. The chickenpox virus is not transmitted through household or contact routes. This is a chicken virus and until the child begins to cough or sneeze, transmission of the virus is unlikely, and through household objects is impossible.
4. Adults do not become infected with chickenpox. In adulthood, most people are immune to chickenpox. Even if it seems to a person that he was not sick in childhood, most likely the illness was mild. Therefore, immunity is present. But if an adult really was not infected with chickenpox in childhood, then he will definitely become infected with it.
5. You can get chickenpox and get over it once in your life. In medical practice, there are many examples of secondary infection with chickenpox, and not provocation of the virus by herpes zoster. Under certain conditions related to the immune system, reinfection is possible.

To summarize, let's remember the most important thing from the above. Firstly, chickenpox is not transmitted through household contact. Secondly, the virus begins to spread before the skin rash appears. Thirdly, you can catch the virus while being hundreds of meters from the source of infection. These are the most important rules to remember.

Chickenpox is a disease that often affects children.

Moreover, the virus can cause symptoms, the treatment of which cannot be predicted too positively.

How and where does infection occur and what to do at the first symptoms?

Chickenpox carriers - how can you get infected?

Infection with chickenpox occurs unnoticed, especially if you take into account the long term. Despite the frivolous attitude towards the “childhood” disease, we propose to consider the most common methods of infection, because complications can be the most serious and even disastrous. So, in order.

How and where does infection occur?

The chickenpox virus is volatile and airborne. With air flow it is carried up to 100 meters. If one child in kindergarten gets sick, then the other children in the same group are considered contacts.

Infection occurs in this way: the virus is inhaled and attaches to the cells of the mucosa. Then, pathological processes occur in the upper layers of the skin and papules appear, which over time fill with fluid.

A person may not even notice contact with the sick person or it will be very short, but then symptoms may appear within 21 days. The risk is increased in autumn and winter. Every five years, epidemics of chickenpox are recorded.

Having fallen ill once, a person acquires immunity for life. However, cases rarely occur in medical practice, especially if the disease was easily tolerated the first time. An adult with a weakened immune system is primarily at risk for infection.

It is better to get over the virus in childhood under 10 years of age. Teenagers and adults have a hard time with the disease: itching all over the body, general malaise and a rise in temperature to 39-40 degrees. With this course, complications can occur: myocarditis, pneumonia, abscess, nephritis. People with reduced immunity often develop sepsis.

The causative agent of the disease

The chickenpox virus has little resistance outside residential areas and is killed by ultraviolet radiation, disinfectants, and high and low temperatures. At 18-25 degrees it lasts for several hours.

Varicella-zoster is very volatile. Covers a distance of up to 15 meters. Can fly through ventilation from floor to floor. But the main carrier is a person with chickenpox or a person. Laboratory tests have revealed that the largest amount of this virus is contained in rashes on the body.

This is what the rash looks like

It represents exactly what they took. Papules can also be localized, which means the virus is present there too. Nasopharyngeal swabs for analysis show lower levels of virus than in skin blisters.

Chickenpox carriers

Children and adults with chickenpox or acute shingles easily infect others around them. During the first days of infection, the carrier of the virus does not observe any signs of chickenpox: fever or rash. It is during this period that chickenpox actively spreads, because a person, unaware of the disease, continues to communicate with other people.

Myths include the claim that the chickenpox virus can fly through a window. This cannot happen, because Varicella-Zoster dies in the open air in a few minutes.

Chickenpox can only be contracted through close contact with a carrier. A person with chickenpox infects another person by talking, coughing or sneezing.

Third parties cannot transmit the infection. A person who has had chickenpox inhales the virus and it does not stay there. Parents should not worry about whether they are contagious to others or not.

Mom or father, who have been ill or not, can visit public places. You can become a carrier only by getting chickenpox in an acute form.

Parents don't have to worry

Where is the risk of infection especially high?

In enclosed spaces, the risk of infection is increased, especially in kindergartens and primary schools. In such institutions, children are in close contact with each other during games, activities and trips to the dining room.

Kindergarten is the number one breeding ground for infection

The volatility of Varicella-Zoster is high, and therefore you can become infected while sitting at home if, for example, your downstairs neighbor gets sick. The virus will travel through the ventilation system.

How to prevent an adult from getting infected from a child

Adults, if predisposed, will catch chickenpox from sick children quickly, because they are with him around the clock. To prevent parents of a sick child from becoming infected, they must:

• ventilate the room frequently;
• allocate separate dishes for the patient;
• wash your hands and face with soap after each contact with a sick person, pay special attention to nails;
• It is necessary to change clothes as often as possible and wash them at high temperatures;
• wear a mask, robe and glasses before entering a room with an infected child;
• Wipe the child’s things during the cleaning process with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Ideally, parents without immunity to the virus should entrust the care of the child to close relatives who have already had chickenpox.

Reliable protection against infection is the chickenpox vaccination. Currently, two vaccinations are known: Okavax, Varilrix. As an emergency, it is advisable to administer injections in the first 72 hours after contact with a sick child. During this time, immunity will have time to develop.

And (Acyclovir,) can prevent illness and strengthen the body's protective functions.

Common people believe that it is impossible to become infected with the Varicella-Zoster virus again. But such cases also occur in medical practice. This usually occurs with serious disorders in the immune system. If everything is in order with a person’s health, then he should not be afraid of the risk of re-infection. These factors influence the likelihood of recurrent chickenpox:

• human immunodeficiency virus;
• radiation and chemotherapy for cancer;
• taking corticosteroid drugs.

The chickenpox virus can harm a developing fetus in the womb. If a woman was not sick in childhood, then she needs to be vaccinated against chickenpox three months before the planned pregnancy.

How to prevent your child from getting infected from other children

It is advisable to get chickenpox between the ages of 2 and 10 years. For children outside this age range, it is best to avoid infection. It is necessary to prevent smallpox in a child if an important event, vacation or flight to another country is coming up. The first thing that is necessary in these cases is vaccination in the first three days after contact with an infected person. If the injection is late, then the following measures are needed:

• to prevent saliva from sneezing, you need a medical mask;
• a healthy brother or sister must be sent to stay with relatives for a while; the same is recommended if the neighbor below falls ill.

After the incubation period, good wet cleaning using antiseptics is necessary.

First symptoms and what to do if you get sick

As soon as a rash appears on the child’s body, it is necessary to isolate him from other healthy children and call a doctor. During illness, it is strictly forbidden to attend kindergartens, schools, clubs and other activities. Home quarantine continues until new papules stop appearing and old rashes crust over.

The period of contagiousness for others is individual for each child: the more difficult it is to tolerate chickenpox, the longer it is. The pediatrician will accurately determine the child’s condition and tell you when to come into contact with other children.

Usually lasts 10 days from the moment the first pimple appears. With mild symptoms, the period is reduced.

In adults, chickenpox begins as an acute cold, with general intoxication:

• nagging pain throughout the body in the joints;
• the temperature rises by small levels - 37-37.5;
• migraine;
• general malaise and weakness.

The rash period begins with pink spots on the head and face. The symptoms are:

• temperature – 39-40;
• weakness, joint pain and chills increase;
• rashes abundantly cover the body not only on the skin, but also on mucous surfaces, where they form enanthems;
• obsessive itching wherever there are papules;
• lymph nodes enlarge: inguinal, behind-the-ear, axillary and submandibular, when pressed they do not cause pain;
• Rashes on the genitals are obligatory in people over 20 years of age, with pain when urinating.

The rash begins with spots, then a bubble with liquid forms from them. You cannot peel off the scabs from the rash - a scar will remain. After tearing the papules, a liquid is released, which dries after treatment with alcohol-containing solutions.

Secondary infection complicates the disease. Pustules appear that constantly get wet. After healing of such formations. Chickenpox in adults can begin with symptoms of nervous breakdown, cerebral edema, chickenpox encephalitis

Aspirin is contraindicated!

The chickenpox virus is easy to catch. This occurs through airborne droplets and through touching rashes on the body. Varicella-zoster is tenacious at room temperature, but unstable in cold and heat. To prevent parents from getting infected from their child, it is enough to ventilate the room as often as possible and follow all measures to protect against the virus. In critical situations and if pregnancy is planned, it is better to get vaccinated against smallpox.

Chickenpox is a disease that almost every person experiences in childhood. It is better to get over the disease as a child, since chickenpox is much more difficult to tolerate as an adult.

The most contagious route from children to adults is airborne transmission.

To avoid a dangerous disease, you should know how chickenpox is transmitted in children and in what ways to protect yourself from possible infection.

In this article you will learn:

Facts about how chickenpox is transmitted

Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the herpes virus. In most cases, the disease affects children from 3 to 10 years old. During this period, the baby is in close contact with his peers, so if one person becomes infected, there is a 100% chance that all members of the team will be affected within 1 month. Having been ill once, a person can no longer acquire chickenpox, due to the fact that the body forever develops immunity against this disease. The only disease that can be caused by the herpes virus in the body is herpes zoster.

The incubation period from the moment of infection with the disease ranges from 7 days to 3 weeks. At this moment, the child is a carrier and distributor of the disease.

The appearance of the first signs after infection is recorded in children from 3 days to 14, and in adults 2 days longer, up to 16. The symptoms that appear at first are characterized by an inflamed rash with follicles collecting cloudy fluid.

Highlight facts about infection methods:

• Herpes virus type 3, which causes chickenpox, has increased volatility. It tends to spread hundreds of meters without losing its infectiousness;
• Chickenpox is transmitted to children or adults when the patient begins to cough and sneeze;
• Patients with chickenpox cease to be carriers of the virus to the environment only 5-7 days after the appearance of the last red papules;
• The possibility of infecting a healthy person occurs two days before the rash;
• Infection from an adult with shingles occurs during a conversation;
• When children use other people's hygiene products, it is impossible to become infected with chickenpox;
• If an adult was not sick in childhood, then a small patient can only infect him with chickenpox, but not with herpes zoster.

The herpes virus in the environment does not have the opportunity to exist for a long period of time. Sun rays and ultraviolet radiation are harmful to it. But at a temperature indoors or outdoors of +20 0 C, its viability can be up to 2 hours. Thus, infection in children occurs in the first hours after the infection occurs.

Adults who have recovered from the disease have the ability to become re-infected with the virus if they have reduced immunity and lack of vitamins. But the result will not be a recurrence of chickenpox, but a disease of herpes zoster.

Myths

Chickenpox is surrounded by speculation and rumors - how, and when, children or adults can become infected with chickenpox. To know the routes of infection, you should understand the main myths about the disease. There are fables about whether you can get sick if:

• A third party may be a carrier of the development of infection. This can be easily refuted by arguing that the virus is quite unstable in the outside world, so there is no way to acquire it from contact with a third party or through household items;
• The immune system of an adult is more protective than that of a child. The myth is a misconception due to the fact that if chickenpox has already been present in the body once, then the person practically cannot become infected again. And a child unprotected from infection quickly acquires the disease. But the difference between the age periods is that in an adult patient with chickenpox, the course is accompanied by serious complications;
• You can only get sick once in your life. In most cases, such a judgment is not wrong and a person, after being ill once, develops immunity forever. But in medicine there were cases when the herpes virus, under favorable conditions, reappeared as chickenpox, and not as shingles;
• Well adapted to living conditions. The environment into which the virus is released is very unstable. Therefore, if there was no close contact with a sick person when talking or staying in the same room for a long period, then infection through household items is extremely unlikely.

Therefore, all judgments should not be trusted. It is recommended to check all the facts regarding the routes of infection with chickenpox with your doctor.

The sooner treatment is started, the greater the likelihood of no consequences in a recovered adult patient.

Read also

1. Refrain from communicating with the patient at close range, it is better to move away 1-2 meters or not contact this person at all for a short time;
2. It is worth refusing hugs and kisses because of the saliva secreted by the infected person, which is saturated with dangerous bacteria;
3. In case of an acute inflammatory process, it is not recommended to come into contact with bare parts of the body, filled with turbid contents of vesicles;
4. Infection is quite possible through household items if the patient undergoes a period of papules opening. Liquid from blisters that gets on clothes can cause infection if a person’s immunity is reduced.

This disease has one significant drawback: infection can last for 2-3 days, while minor rashes remain unattended. In such a situation, any adult who has not previously had the disease has a 100% chance of contracting chickenpox. Symptoms of chickenpox infection in adult patients are severe.

At the initial eruption of inflamed papules, a high temperature rises. There is a headache, when pressing on the cervical lymph nodes, pain is felt, general malaise and lack of appetite are recorded.

Itchy rashes can appear not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membrane, as well as on the genitals.

Children do not feel all these signs at a younger age. If infection occurs again in adulthood, the symptoms become more subdued.

Ways of transmission of chickenpox to children

Chickenpox infection occurs long before the first symptoms appear. You can become infected with the disease in 3 ways:

• Airborne - chickenpox tends to be transmitted from infected children to healthy ones, as well as to adults. Infection occurs when a sudden onset of coughing or severe sneezing occurs. The patient does not yet feel significant symptoms and does not know about his condition, but is already contagious;
• Contact - if a healthy person touches an opened papule, there is a chance of acquiring a similar disease;
• Intrauterine - if a pregnant woman becomes infected with chickenpox in the last weeks, then the baby, passing through the birth canal, can become infected with the disease. In addition, if the infection of the expectant mother occurred during the period of active development of all important organs (up to 12 weeks), then the baby is born with a congenital disease. In such a situation there are dangerous complications and consequences.

It is impossible to become infected through a third party. A person who has been ill before will not bring the infection home. If an adult infects a child, then the probability of his imminent illness is 100%. No things or household items can trigger chickenpox.

You can catch the disease only through communication or contact. If contact occurs in the fresh air, the likelihood of infection is minimized.

When exposed to sunlight and low ambient temperatures, the virus dies.

• Maintain personal hygiene and teach children to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet;
• Strengthen the body's protective function by consuming fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as fortified complexes during the season;
• Load your body with physical activity.

In addition, children should be vaccinated. For this purpose, a calendar has been developed where injections are scheduled. To prevent illness, you should receive the recommended DPT vaccinations and other injections that prevent serious illness. Thus, the only way chickenpox is transmitted is by airborne droplets.

In order to protect yourself, you should avoid contact with the infected person. It is better to have chickenpox in childhood, so that as an adult you do not have to suffer from a severe course of the disease with all the ensuing serious consequences.

Most people tend to underestimate chickenpox, considering it a minor childhood infection. In fact, in adulthood, the disease can affect joints, blood vessels and cause serious complications on internal organs. That is why, if your child is sick, do not rush into physical contact with him. Remember if you yourself have had chickenpox, because you can become infected with chickenpox at different ages. In order not to go on a forced vacation due to herpes virus type 3, you need to know how chickenpox is transmitted and avoid possible infection in every possible way.

How can you “catch” the virus?

70% of the population become acquainted with smallpox before the age of 10 and successfully fight the symptoms, but even after being ill, few people understand how they become infected with chickenpox. All adults should know where chickenpox comes from in order to prevent their child from becoming infected and not face complications themselves if the virus was avoided in childhood. There are ongoing debates about the methods of transmission of infection, and it is not at all strange that on the Internet you can find a huge number of myths about how chickenpox is transmitted.

In fact, you can get chickenpox in two ways:

• contact;
• air.

Chickenpox is transmitted through contact and household contact when liquid from the vesicles gets on the skin of a healthy child. That is why it is so important for the patient to treat wounds with an antiseptic. Chickenpox is also transmitted by airborne droplets; one infected person in a closed room is enough to infect 10 healthy people. The virus is highly contagious, which is why outbreaks of chickenpox are so often reported in groups, especially children's groups.

In order to understand exactly how chickenpox is transmitted in children and if a child has had it, whether he or she can be a carrier, you need to consult with your local pediatrician, whom you must contact if you suspect that your baby is developing chickenpox. The sooner you visit a doctor, the sooner you will begin therapy and avoid complications of this insidious disease.

Ways of spread of infection

There are several ways of transmitting chickenpox, the most common is contact with a sick person. The virus does not live in the air for a long time, but can spread over long distances from a patient. If there is an infected person within a radius of 20 meters during the active phase of the disease, the probability that others will become infected is 78%.

However, it is important to understand that chickenpox is not transmitted through third parties, and infection does not occur under any circumstances of contact. It is impossible to become infected with chickenpox through a third party, even with prolonged close contact. Infection cannot be transmitted from third parties who have had smallpox, since the pathogen can only live inside the body. If a person already has immunity to the third type of herpes and has been in contact with a sick person, he does not become infectious. You can become infected from a person who has contact with someone with chickenpox if he or she has not had the virus and becomes infected after contact.

Separately, I would like to note that it is also impossible to become infected with chickenpox through the patient’s belongings. The infection is transmitted through clothing only when liquid from a cracked papule remains on it. You can become infected with chickenpox through things if, for example, you share the same toothbrush with a sick person and you have open wounds or scratches in your mouth. In this case, the virus preserved on the toothbrush will penetrate the oral mucosa and enter the blood. Although, such a spread of chickenpox is unlikely, because the virus lives in an open environment for no more than 3 hours, and in the open air for no more than 15 minutes, after which it dies. When discussing the question of whether chickenpox is transmitted through things, it should be noted that the patient’s household appliances, for example, a cup, mug, spoon and the like do not require disinfection.

Is a person who has been ill a carrier of the virus?

Chickenpox spreads during the active phase of the disease. Two days before the first rash appears, a person already becomes dangerous to those around him. A person infected with chickenpox remains at risk for up to 7-10 days. When the crust on the rash dries, chickenpox is not transmitted either through household contact or by airborne droplets. It is also not transmitted through objects during this period. Every person who has had smallpox is a carrier of chickenpox, but does not spread it themselves. The disease lies dormant in the body and never reactivates.

How is chickenpox transmitted from children to adults?

The disease has no gender or age preferences. You can catch the herpes virus both in infancy and in old age. Of course, an adult can become infected from a child if the parent has not previously had chickenpox. The only difference is how chickenpox is tolerated in a growing and adult body. If a person has already had the disease, he cannot become infected with chickenpox, even if he comes into contact with a child at the beginning of the disease. If the adult’s body has not yet encountered the pathogen, then chickenpox is transmitted as usual (through the air or by contact).

Chickenpox is quickly transmitted from children to children; if at least one child in the group “caught” Varicella Zoster, the kindergarten is closed for quarantine. The fact is that other children could have contracted chickenpox from the patient in the initial period, but the rash has not yet appeared on them. It is enough for one papule to form on the skin, and in a couple of hours the whole body will be covered with a rash; this viral infection is characterized by the immediate development of symptoms. Little-informed people think that if a child has chickenpox, the parents are contagious, but this is not true. Parents can be contagious only if they themselves have not been sick. When they have immunity to Varicella Zoster, they are not a threat.

Adults become infected with chickenpox from their own children. In trying to provide them with optimal conditions for recovery, parents forget that they can become infected themselves if they have not encountered the pathogen before. In order not to be afraid of encountering the symptoms of smallpox as an adult, you should get vaccinated; it is valid for 10 years. Even after children become infected, they can freely contact people who have been vaccinated.

Chickenpox in adults is also transmitted through herpes zoster. Varicella Zoster causes only smallpox in children, but in adults the same virus can cause lichen. Based on this, it should be noted that children can catch the infection from a person with lichen. Also, an adult without antibodies to Varicella Zoster can become infected with smallpox after contact with a carrier of shingles.

The length of the incubation period during which the virus is transmitted

In addition to the methods of infection with chickenpox, you need to know how long the incubation period of the disease lasts, that is, from whom you can become infected, and who no longer poses a threat. In general, a person who has been ill can tolerate the infection for 22-25 days, after which they can return to a healthy group. At the same time, contact people are dangerous during the first 10 days. In severe forms of the disease, a sick person can infect a child and an adult within a period of 10 to 15 days. A qualified infectious disease doctor can accurately say whether chickenpox infection can still occur after examining the patient’s skin.

Now you know how chickenpox is transmitted, whether it can be infected through a third party, and how long it takes for it to spread from a sick person to a healthy one. Today, Varicella Zoster has already been well studied, and medicine offers many medications that can prevent the spread of infection and alleviate the course of the disease. It is important not to miss the moment when you can still avoid the disease by starting timely therapy. It’s even better to get vaccinated and not be puzzled by the question of how an adult and a child can become infected with chickenpox.