Chickenpox can lead to serious health complications, especially in infants, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, and individuals with low immunity. Symptoms typically last for four to seven days.
The main symptoms include fluid-filled blisters that appear scattered on the body. These lesions typically first appear on the chest, back, and face, but can spread throughout the body, including inside the mouth, on the eyelids, or in the genital area.
The disease is contagious from one or two days before the blisters appear until they are all dried up. It can take up to a week for the blisters to form scabs. If the disease becomes severe, it can cause infections in the lungs (pneumonia), brain (encephalitis), and bloodstream (septicemia).
Given the potential for such infections, the District Medical Officer (DMO) of Kollam has advised that all cases must be reported to the nearest health worker to ensure scientific treatment. The DMO also noted that in individuals with low immunity who have previously had chickenpox, the virus can reappear as Herpes Zoster (Shingles) in specific parts of the body.
With input from keralanews. Gov.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
