Varicella

Pediatr. praxi. 2007;8(6):374-378

Varicella

MUDr. Daniel Dražan: PLDD, Jindřichův Hradec

Varicella (chickenpox) is an acute highly contagious disease with world-wide occurrence caused by primary infection by varicella zoster virus (VZV). After varicella the latent infection persists in sensory neural ganglia and its reactivation cause herpes zoster (shingles). Varicella is primarily a childhood disease and in children it usually is self-limited, although even in a healthy child it might be complicated, the risk of complications is substantially higher in newborns, adolescents, adults and immunocompromised. Chickenpox and shingles may be treated with antiviral drugs and both clinical entities can be prevented by vaccination.