It has a characteristic rash and accompanied by fever and malaise. Chicken Pox occurs primarily among children under the age of 10. One attack gives durable immunity and second attacks are rare. In India, it usually occurs in the first six months of the year.
Infection is usually from another patient.
The virus is contained in the body fluids and in the lesions of skin and mucosa. It is transmitted from person to person by droplet infection through the respiratory tract. Rarely the condition may be caused by exposure to a case of Herpes Zoster. Onset is sudden with mild to moderate fever, shivering, pain in the back and malaise. Rashes break out on the day the fever starts.