Preventing chickenpox.

Australian Doctor,  November, 2005  

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With the introduction this week of a free national varicella vaccination program, many GPs may be asked for information about chickenpox. By Dr Kristine Macartney.

VARICELLA-zostervirus (VZV) is a member of the herpes virus family, and is most well known as the cause of varicella. Like other herpes viruses, VZV can establish a latent infection in nerve ganglions, and this can reactivate later in life to cause herpes zoster, or shingles

VARICELLA DISEASE

In unvaccinated populations, varicella is primarily a childhood illness. In temperate countries more than 90% of the ...

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