varicella (redirected from varicelloid)

varicella /var·i·cel·la/ (var″ĭ-sel´ah) [L.] chickenpox.

---

var·i·cel·la (vr-sl)

n.

See chickenpox.

---

Varicella

Chickenpox; a disease caused by the Varicella zoster virus—human herpes virus 3—that can cause severe birth defects if transmitted to the fetus during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and newborn complications if it is transmitted perinatally.

Mentioned in: Maternal to Fetal Infections

---

varicella.

See chickenpox.

---

varicella (ver´isel´),

n (chickenpox), an acute communicable disease with an incubation period of 2 or 3 weeks and caused by herpesvirus, usually found in children. Manifestations include coryza, fever, malaise, and headache, followed in 2 or 3 days by the eruption of macular vesicles.

Varicella.

---

varicella

Chickenpox, see there

---

Patient discussion about varicelloid.

Q. Is chicken pox dangerous to my fetus? I am pregnant and have never had chicken pox before. My daughter is 2 years old and has not had chicken pox before and hasn't been vaccinated against it either. If she does catch chicken pox can this be dangerous to me or the fetus?

A. If a pregnant woman who hasn't had chickenpox in the past contracts it (especially in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy), the fetus is at risk for birth defects and she is at risk for more health complications than if she'd been infected when she wasn't pregnant. If she develops chickenpox just before or after the child is born, the newborn is at risk for serious health complications. Therefore, it is advised that you vaccinate your daughter against chicken pox so she will not catch it and then could not pass it on to you.

Q. How contagious is chicken pox? I just found out that a kid in my son's preschool has chicken pox. What are the chances my son got it too? He hasn't been vaccinated against it. He is 3 years old.

A. Chickenpox is very contagious — so there is a big chance your son caught it too. Most kids with a sibling who's been infected will get it as well, showing symptoms about 2 weeks after the first child does. Chickenpox causes a red, itchy rash on the skin that usually appears first on the abdomen or back and face, and then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body, including the scalp, mouth, nose, ears, and genitals.
Some kids have a fever, abdominal pain, sore throat, headache, or a vague sick feeling a day or 2 before the rash appears. These symptoms may last for a few days, and fever stays in the range of 100°–102° Fahrenheit (37.7°–38.8° Celsius), though in rare cases may be higher.