Can chickenpox also occur in the mouth?

Chickenpox can also occur in the mouth. Although this is not the typical localization, all mucous membranes of the body can be affected. Chickenpox in the mouth is also manifested by small red spots on which blisters form.

How contagious is chickenpox?

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease. Since chickenpox can be transmitted by droplets through the air, all people who are in a room with an infected person are also potentially infected.

Diagnosis

The clinical picture leads to the diagnosis: The fluid-filled vesicles, which are simultaneously present in different stages (“starry sky”), are characteristic for a varicella or zoster disease. Usually, virus isolations are not performed to diagnose the disease, but these are possible by means of special procedures such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or cultivation of the pathogens. The detection of antibodies against the varicella virus can indicate the acute infection, in which case IgM antibodies occur, or the immunity, in which case IgG antibodies are found in the blood. Zoster shows an increase in IgG antibodies in the blood sample, which is an indication of reactivation of the virus.

Duration

The incubation period is about two weeks, the disease heals after about five to seven days. If the person has no other diseases, the symptomatic treatment of a chickenpox infection is usually sufficient. This is fever reduction by calf compresses or a drug therapy with paracetamol or ibuprofen. To alleviate itching with synthetic tanning agents or antihistamines.

Differential diagnosesexclusion diseases

In infectious diseases such as measles, scarlet fever and rubella, skin rashes also occur in the form of redness, but only in chickenpox do blisters form at the bottom of these spots, which are characteristic of varicella infection. If the clinical picture (symptoms, characteristics of the skin) does not allow a distinction to be made between the above-mentioned diseases, an antibody test in the blood is used to make a diagnosis.

Vaccination against chickenpox

There is a vaccination against chickenpox. This is recommended by the STIKO (permanent vaccination commission of the Robert Koch Institute) with the combined vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella. The vaccinations are given at the age of 11-14 months or 15-23 months.

The vaccine against chickenpox is a live vaccine. This means that the viruses are vaccinated and remain in the body. Therefore, although the outbreak of chickenpox can be prevented by a chickenpox infection, the Varicella Zoster Virus can still develop after reactivation.

This is the clinical picture of shingles. In vaccinated persons, however, the clinical picture occurs less frequently and in an attenuated form. In patients who have a weak immune system and who are suspected of having had contact with a person infected with chickenpox, active immunization can also be considered using a live vaccine.

This should be done no later than 5 days after exposure and can prevent the outbreak of the virus. However, this is not one of the standard vaccinations. A chickenpox infection is possible despite vaccination.

This infection is called breakthrough infection and is defined as an infection that occurs more than 43 days after the vaccination is completed. This is a milder infection than without vaccination and the probability of transmission is very low. Another phenomenon can occur immediately after vaccination. These are so-called vaccination varicella, which can occur a few days after vaccination.This is a mild skin rash on which blisters can form. However, the disease is very mild and heals quickly.