Chicken pox was once a prevalent form of viral infection among children. With the availability of the chicken pox vaccine, the number of cases has dropped.
Children who end up with chicken pox generally develop symptoms around 10-21 days after exposure to an infected individual.
What are the signs?
The usual indications of chicken pox include the following:
- Prodrome of malaise, fever, headache, appetite loss and mild abdominal pain for 1-2 days
- Rash that initially manifests on the trunk, scalp and face that are comprised of small, flat, itchy, reddened spots that turn into elevated vesicles filled with fluid. They later turn cloudy and crust over.
- Fever that lasts for 2-4 days
Rash that initially manifests on the trunk, scalp and face that are comprised of small, flat, itchy, reddened spots that turn into elevated vesicles filled with fluid. - Fresh crops of rash from the trunk and later spreads to the arms and legs for up to 4 days.
- The lesions crust over around 6-7 days after the condition started
- The crusts fall off after another 7 days but can sometimes take up to 20 days, usually without scarring.
What are the signs of breakthrough chicken pox?
Even though not common, children who were partly or fully vaccinated might still end up with chicken pox.
This is called as breakthrough chicken pox which is less communicable and have milder symptoms which includes:
- Only a few chicken pox lesions
- Mild fever or no fever at all
- Atypical appearance of the rash with only a few or no vesicles
- Faster recovery period within 3-5 days
Disclaimer / More Information
The information posted on this page on chicken pox is for learning and educational purposes only. To learn to recognize the signs and how it is managed, register for first aid training at one of our training centers located throughout Canada. The training centers are in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Saskatoon, Victoria, Surrey, Mississauga, Winnipeg, Red Deer, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax.