Chickenpox (Varicella)
Cause
The varicella-zoster virus, one of the herpes viruses, causes chickenpox infection. The same virus that causes chickenpox also causes Reference shingles Opens New Window (herpes zoster).
How it is spread
The chickenpox virus can spread easily from one person to another. It most often spreads through the respiratory tract, such as mucous membranes of the mouth and nose. You also can get chickenpox through the air from an infected person's sneezing or coughing. Less often, chickenpox is spread when fluid from a chickenpox blister gets on your skin.
In rare cases, a person can get chickenpox from the fluid of shingles blisters.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference May 11, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference John Pope, MD - Pediatrics
Reference Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MD, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics |
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