- Incubation 10 – 21 days
- Short prodrome – fever, lethargy, anorexia
- Then eruption of rash – papules then vesicles, often significant erythema surrounding
- Infectious – 2 days before rash until lesions have fully crusted – or at least 1 week after first eruption
- Prophylaxis if case contact
- Neonates < 28 days, pregnant women, immuncompromised – consider immunoglobulin within 96 hours exposure (can be up to 10 days)
- Post exposure prophylaxis if unimmunised – give varicella vaccine within 5 days of exposure (best within 3 )
- Treatment
- Usually supportive for children
- Other skin disease greater risk of severe disease – e.g. Eczema give oral
- Children – Aciclovir 20mg/kg up to 800mg – 5 times daily for 7 days
- Adults consider treatment even if immune competent – greater risk severe disease
- Start within 36 hours
- Pregnant women start within 72 hours
- Valaciclovir 1g TDS for 7 days
- Complications – more common infants, adults, immunsupressed
- Bacterial infection
- Pneumonia
- Encephalitits
- Cerebellitits
- HepatitisArthritis
- Reye syndrome
Related