Physical signs
Effects during pregnancy
Tests and treatments
Both chicken pox and shingles are caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus. Adults only account for about 2% of cases because up to 90% of people experience chicken pox by the time they reach 15 years of age. This may be a noticeable illlness, or something so mild that the person is not aware they have had chicken pox. People rarely get chicken pox twice.
The incubation period for chicken pox (or the time period from coming in contact with an infected person and becoming ill) is about 2 to 3 weeks. It is highly contagious for 1-2 days before the rash appears, up until about 5 days after the rash is noticeable, when all the blisters scab. Chicken pox is spread by coughing (early in the illness) or by direct contact with the skin sores once they appear.
Shingles is the reactivation of the chicken pox virus, usually many years after the initial chicken pox illness. It generally only occurs in older people or those with lowered immune systems.
Physical signs
The physical signs of chicken pox can include a slight fever, runny nose and feeling generally unwell for one or 2 days. Then a skin rash appears as raised, pink spots in successive crops on various parts of the body (sometimes inside the mouth) over the next 3 to 4 days. The spots form blisters, which break and form crusts and scab.
Shingles causes very painful skin eruptions on an area of one side of the body. This usually persists for 2 weeks, but can occasionally last for up to 3 to 5 weeks. Shingles is spread through direct contact with skin eruptions.
NOTE: Do not give a child or adolescent aspirin if they have chickenpox or influenza, as it is linked to causing Reyes syndrome - a rare but potentially fatal disease.