Chickenpox Essay

Varicella (Chickenpox)

There are countless diseases and other viruses that humans come into contact with each day. They range anywhere from a harmless cold to a life-threatening illness. The human body does a good job at learning from these pathogens to better adapt itself to fight off these things.

Among these viruses that the human body can come into contact with, chickenpox has always managed to make itself relevant. Varicella is what most people know as chickenpox, and it was considered universal for all kids growing up until recent improvements in medicine started to lower the risk for children. Varicella-zoster is part of the herpesvirus family. It is one of the eight herpesviruses that actually affect the human body (Whitely). Varicella-zoster

The more a person understands chickenpox, the better chance the world has at eventually overcoming this widespread illness.

Pathophysiology

The first thing to look at in order to understand chickenpox is its pathophysiology. A pathophysiology is information about the disease, and it is how each disease affects the body. If a person was to learn the different things about a disease, then they would have a better chance of beating it. Chickenpox is the common name for Varicella-zoster virus. Varicella is an acute exanthem, and humans are the only known host. The Varicella-zoster virus is also a neurotrophic alpha-herpesvirus. It is one of the very few herpesviruses that can actually affect humans.

Chickenpox typically affects children, but a person that has been infected with the virus will

Adcox 3 carry the genome in their body for years. This could result in that person being affected by latent genomes that will be activated years later to cause shingles (Roy).

The first thing to consider about chickenpox is that it is typically transmitted through

This is one of the main causes of chickenpox epidemics within children at schools. They spread quickly through the air, so one infected child could infect dozens of other kids that they come in contact with in crowded schools (Papadopoulos).

Chickenpox can also be transmitted virally, but this is not as common or considered to be as significant. Chickenpox will begin as what doctors consider as a silent infection. This means that the virus will be in your system for a period of time before symptoms are even noticeable. The virus has a lengthy incubation period that can last anywhere from a couple of days to three weeks.

After the incubation period, the virus will then enter the bloodstream causing what people consider to be a “virus”. Fever and fatigue will then begin to set in. The virus then causes an activation of reticuloendothelial cells. These cells cause the second wave of the virus which is the skin lacerations. A person will notice red maculopapular eruptions on the skin and they will eventually begin to itch and burst (Roy).

After a person initially inhales contaminated droplets from the air, the virus heads straight to the upper respiratory tract. It begins to affect the lymph nodes first within a couple of days