Causes of chicken pox and various risk factors

Chicken pox is better known as a disease that only affects children. In fact, chicken pox is a viral infection that can be experienced by anyone. However, the risk of getting the disease is higher in people who have never been infected and did not get the chickenpox vaccine. So, what causes chicken pox? Come on, understand more deeply about the period of the virus infection that causes chickenpox. That way, you can be aware of when chicken pox is more likely to transmit the virus.

Know the virus that causes chickenpox

The main cause of chickenpox is infection with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). This virus is highly contagious and can spread quickly, especially in people who have never been exposed to the disease or who have not received a vaccine.

Transmission can occur directly from person to person, often through skin contact with smallpox sores or through droplets released when a person breathes, talks, sneezes, or coughs.

Meanwhile, indirect transmission occurs when someone touches items that have been contaminated by fluids from people with smallpox.

Transmission from an infected person can begin when the initial symptoms of chickenpox such as fever appear. An infected person can continue to pass on the virus until the boil dries and peels off the skin.

Is this virus dangerous? Viral infection that causes chickenpox in children does not cause serious symptoms. However, chickenpox in adults can appear more severe if they have never been infected at all. The complications caused were even more serious.

According to a review from the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), viral infections that cause disease can cause abnormalities in the fetus if pregnant women contract chickenpox when the pregnancy is 6 weeks old. If contracted at the end of pregnancy, viral infection can endanger the safety of the womb.

Development of viral infection that causes chickenpox

These diseases include self-limiting disease , that is, the viral infection can subside on its own. Within a few days the red spots will turn resilient then dry up, and are no longer contagious.

Changes in the symptoms of chickenpox can be seen in the stages of disease progression, as follows:

1. Prodromal phase

After entering the body, the virus will infect the mucosa (mucous membranes) in the respiratory tract or eye tissue. The virus will then move to reproduce for 2-4 days in the lymph nodes that are still in the respiratory tract.

From this initial infection phase, the virus will spread into the bloodstream and cause the initial symptoms of chickenpox such as fever, fatigue and headaches. This event of infection is called primary viremia which will last for 4-6 days.

2. Secondary viremia phase

Viral replication then occurs in internal organs, namely in the liver and spleen. As Medscape wrote, this condition was followed by secondary viremia infection lasting 14-16 days. The virus that causes chickenpox will enter the outer layer of the skin, namely the epidermis, including the blood vessels in it.

This phase of infection will result in the accumulation or buildup of fluid under the surface of the skin and result in the formation of pox or vesicles. The skin rash that starts out as red spots then blisters fills with fluid. In this phase of infection, fever can occur even if it is not too high.

The spots that become resilient will spread to all parts of the body, starting from the face, front of the body, to the hands and feet. The viral infection that causes chickenpox at this stage will also make the itching feel stronger.

This condition can make the disease very contagious. Scratching the chickenpox resilience can cause the resilience to break and the liquid that contains the virus in it will spread in the air.

Before the formation of resilience on the surface of the skin, blisters can also appear in the mucous membrane in the mouth. The elastic in the mouth can feel so sore that it will be difficult to swallow food.

3. The pustular formation phase

Apart from scratching, smallpox resilience can also be broken due to friction of the skin surface with clothing or other objects.

Not only is it more likely to spread the virus, a ruptured elastic can also produce open sores that provide entry points for bacteria from outside to infect the skin. Chickenpox scars from scratching can be difficult to remove.

Therefore, try to be as resilient as possible without being rubbed.

On the elastic that has not been broken, it will enter the next stage of the virus infection of this disease. In this phase, the body's immune system will react more actively to fight viral infections, causing pustules to form. The resilience of the smallpox will be deflated and filled with dead white blood cells.

4. Umbilication phase

Within four to five days, the pustules will go through the umbilication process, namely by forming a crust and scab on the skin. This phase of the viral infection that causes chickenpox is also susceptible to triggering secondary infection by bacteria because the smallpox rash will form open wounds.

Then, the scab will slowly peel off by itself. This stage marks the final infection and cure for chickenpox.

What are the risk factors for chickenpox?

People who have been infected with chickenpox generally will not get chickenpox a second time. This is because the body has formed antibodies against the virus that causes chickenpox, so that it can prevent it from infecting.

Therefore, your risk of getting chickenpox will be higher if you have never had chickenpox before or have not had the vaccine. Some other conditions that can increase a person's risk of being exposed to the virus that causes chickenpox include:

• Children under 10 years of age. Especially children who have not had the chickenpox vaccine and have never been infected.
• Pregnant women who have never been infected. Chicken pox that occurs during pregnancy can also cause complications for both the mother and the unborn baby, fortunately this is rare.
• Full activity in an enclosed place with an infected person. For example, if you are struggling at the hospital or at school. Limited air circulation in a closed room can make it easier for the virus to spread and infect other people.
• Have a weak immune system. For example, people who have diseases that attack the immune system such as HIV, cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment, or patients who are taking drugs that suppress the work of the immune system.

If you fall into a group of people with risk factors, you need to get chickenpox vaccination as an effective way to prevent chickenpox.