Chickenpox, or chickenpox, is a common acute viral infection. Its characteristic signs are an increase in temperature and the appearance on the skin and mucous membranes of a vesicular rash. In the article, we consider how long the incubation period of chickenpox lasts.
Causes of the disease and sources of infection
The causative agent of the disease is a virus from the Herpetosviridae family. Most of it is in the vesicles of the vesicular rash, which is actively formed during the first three days of the disease. However, their number is rapidly declining, and after seven days it is impossible to determine the virus.
The virus is very unstable to environmental factors. Once in the air, for example, with particles of infected saliva, it remains active for only a few minutes. Under the influence of sunlight, ultraviolet radiation and even a simple wet cleaning, the virus dies.
However, even a few minutes of virus activity may be enough to catch chickenpox. The disease is ubiquitous and is easily released into the environment when breathing, as well as coughing and sneezing. The human body is very susceptible to the virus, therefore, outbreaks of the disease with a large number of cases in one team can occur so quickly. Children of pre-school age are more likely to be affected by the disease, less often cases of infection among primary and secondary school age, teenagers over 15 years old and adults are even less likely to get chickenpox.
Chickenpox incubation period
Under the incubation period of the disease refers to the length of time from the moment the pathogen virus enters the body until the first symptoms of the disease appear. During this period, a person is not contagious to others. However, it should be remembered that very often with chickenpox, the activity of the virus increases two to three days before the rash appears, and from that moment on, a person is able to infect others.
Consider the symptoms and treatment of chickenpox during the incubation period.
Its duration is on average from one to three weeks. In children and adults, the duration of the incubation period is different. In addition, it depends on the patient’s state of health. With a weakened immune system, the incubation of the virus can be much faster.
The incubation period of chickenpox in infants is the shortest and ranges from seven to ten days. It lasts a little longer in children and adolescents - an average of 13-17 days. It lasts about the same in adults - about three weeks.
Stages of the incubation period and their duration
The incubation period of chickenpox can be divided into three stages, each of which is characterized by the degree of development of the virus in the body.
In the first stage, chickenpox virus enters a healthy body after contact with the carrier. The virus gradually strengthens on the mucous membranes. The duration of this stage is about four days.
At the second stage, the active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms on the mucous membranes begins, the concentration of viral cells increases rapidly.
At the third - final - stage, the concentration of the virus is so high that it allows it to enter the bloodstream. The immune system responds by actively producing antibodies. It was at this time that the first manifestations of the disease occur.
In some cases, the course of the disease may not give symptoms even after the incubation period of chickenpox has ended, and treatment in children may be complicated.
Latent form of the disease
The latent form of chickenpox most often occurs two to three days before the end of the incubation period. With this form, the number of viruses in the body is sufficient so that the patient can infect others, but not enough for the symptoms to appear, since the virus is still at the stage of completion of incubation.
The height of this pathology
Behind the latent phase, the peak of the disease begins, usually between four and seven days. The first sign of chickenpox is an increase in temperature. Also characteristic symptoms of chickenpox are headaches and toothaches, general malaise, lack of appetite, nausea, dizziness, and a feeling of aching in the joints. About a day after this, rashes appear on the skin. A characteristic feature of chickenpox is that the rash spreads absolutely throughout the patient's body. New vesicles will appear again and again for about five days. Then the disease is on the decline and in uncomplicated form is already on the tenth day.
It depends on the length of the incubation period.
Treatment of chickenpox in children and adults
If the disease goes away without complications and aggravating moments, which include children under 1 year of age, severe symptoms of poisoning, signs of damage to the nervous system or suspicion of immunodeficiency, then the patient is assigned a home bed rest. In severe cases of the disease, which is accompanied by fever for two or more days, hospitalization is required. In addition, there is often a high probability of the simultaneous development of a bacterial infection.
Drug therapy is not prescribed for mild to moderate form of the disease. For the treatment of severe forms, antiviral drugs are prescribed. You can take medicine only as directed by your doctor. It is also necessary to carry out symptomatic therapy, which includes taking antipyretic drugs at temperatures above 38.5 degrees, treatment of rashes with aniline dyes (most often with a solution of brilliant green). Spot treatment of each element of the rash should be carried out twice a day, being careful not to damage the bubble. To rinse the oral cavity, you can use herbal decoctions of chamomile, sage, and use local antiseptics to treat the throat. To relieve itching, the use of antiallergic drugs is recommended. When signs of a bacterial infection appear, antibiotics are often prescribed.
Symptoms of chickenpox in children and the incubation period we examined. How long does recovery take?
Restoring the body after this disease
The transferred disease weakens the immune system, so the body after chickenpox is susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. To restore immunity, a course of immunomodulating drugs and multivitamins are prescribed. In the case of severe chickenpox, which occurred with complications, a doctor’s observation is required for the recovery period, as well as an additional examination of narrow specialists - a neurologist, oculist, gastroenterologist, otolaryngologist, according to indications.
Possible complications after the disease
The vast majority of cases of chickenpox (up to 98%) occur without complications. However, few severe cases of the disease can lead to very serious consequences, up to disability and death. More common complications include purulent skin diseases. They occur in cases of infection on the newly opened vesicle of bacteria. Most often this occurs in children who comb an itchy rash and infect the infection. Less common are complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, pneumonia.
For a long time after recovery, the virus may remain inactive in the intervertebral nerve nodes. In the case of weakened immunity, reactivation of the virus is possible, which leads to the development of a disease such as herpes zoster.
Features of the course of the disease in children and adults
Symptoms of chickenpox during the incubation period may be completely absent.
Children, as a rule, tolerate the disease easily, they rarely have complications. A severe form of the disease occurs when the child’s immune system is weakened. After a childhood illness, in most cases, a stable immunity to the causative agent of chickenpox is developed. That is why cases of re-infection are rare.
In adults, the infection is more severe. Often there is severe fever, a much higher risk of developing complications, which, however, with timely treatment are reversible.
Chickenpox Prevention
What should be done to prevent the disease? Until recently, chickenpox vaccination was not used in medical practice, since chickenpox was not considered a dangerous disease, and in the case of the disease, stable immunity is developed. However, in the last decade, clinical experience has shown the need for a vaccine. The vaccine is given to children older than one year, as well as adults who have not had chickenpox. The vaccine protects the body for a long time, and in the case of a disease (which is extremely rare), the disease proceeds in a very mild form, without complications. Vaccination is also indicated for persons in contact with the patient, however, it must be carried out shortly after diagnosis (no more than 72 hours).
In conclusion, we can say that chickenpox is one of the most common and extremely contagious childhood diseases. This is due to the fact that obvious signs by which one can determine the disease appear later than the moment when the patient already becomes a virus carrier. In addition, quarantine is not always observed after the symptoms disappear, as a result of which a healthy-looking child is still able to infect his playmates.
Symptoms of chickenpox during the incubation period in adults may also not manifest themselves.
It is very dangerous when infection first occurs in adulthood. In this case, there is a much higher risk of developing serious complications and life-threatening consequences of the illness.