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Chickenpox-
- Chickenpox is a very contagious disease of children. The disease occurs in epidemics, especially in children under the age 13 of ten years. Children of the first four years of life are the most susceptible. There is an incubation period of 14—21 days, most frequently 17 days.

Etiology:
Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus of the herpesvirus family, aka the human herpes virus type 3. This is a DNA-containing virus, little resistant in the external environment, capable of replication only in the human body.

Epidemiology
The transmission mechanism is airborne. The disease is very contagious, but close contact of the patient and the susceptible organism is necessary for the implementation of infection.
The source of infection is a sick person. The patient infects susceptible people from the last 48 hours of the incubation period and up to 5 days after the appearance of the last fresh element of the rash.

Clinica patternl
The first symptoms are the following: a slight fever and sometimes pains in the back and legs. Almost at the same time (within twenty four hours) a characteristic eruption appears on different parts of the body. It is found very frequently on the scalp (the hairy part of the head).
The eruption consists of red maculas quickly progressing to papules and vesicles. Soon they become crusted. The brownish crusts dry up and fall off in two – three weeks. The child remains infectious until the scabs scale.
Chickenpox is one of the mildest of acute infectious diseases of children. Children remain feverish for 2 – 3 days, while new vesicles still appear and after that feel well. The recovery is usually complete.
The number of vesicles is very variable. In a slight case there may only be eight or ten of the vesicles, but sometimes in severe cases their number may amount to six or seven hundred.

Complications
Chickenpox in children and adults is similar, but complications develop more often in adults.
Specific complications:
stenosing laryngotracheitis;
neurological complications — meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis;
keratitis;
hemorrhagic nephritis.
Nonspecific complications:
abscesses;
phlegmons;
otitis media;
pneumonia;
sepsis.

Diagnostics
A doctor's consultation is necessary with a high body temperature and the appearance of a rash on the skin.
Laboratory diagnosis of chickenpox is rarely carried out. If necessary, in doubtful or complex cases, they can be used:
clinical blood analysis with leukocyte formula
general urine analysis
biochemical blood tests
serological reactions

Treatment
In the majority of cases no other treatment beyond isolation is required:
• The child should be kept in bed during the eruptive stage and as long as there is any fever.
• The lesions should be treated with a disinfective solution.
• Self-treatment of chickenpox is unacceptable.
• When the first signs appear, you need to contact a therapist or pediatrician.
• The further management of the patient is handled by an infectious disease specialist.