Chicken Pox: Varicella Virus Report - Public Health, Semester 1

This report provides a comprehensive overview of Chicken Pox (Varicella), a well-known viral infection. It begins with an introduction to the virus, including its outbreaks in the US from 2015-2017, particularly among unvaccinated individuals and school-going children. The report then delves into the structure and function of the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), detailing its components like the core, capsid, tegument, and envelope, and their roles in viral replication. The report also discusses the virus's pathogenicity and virulence, explaining its transmission through airborne droplets, incubation period, and the development of skin vesicles. Furthermore, it outlines laboratory diagnostic tests, including direct methods, virus isolation, and serology, used to detect the virus and assess the body's immune response. The report also covers the use of antibiotic treatment and preventative strategies, such as calamine lotion, over-the-counter medications, and the importance of vaccination in preventing severe disease. The report is supported by several references to credible sources.

CHICKEN POX
Varicella is well known virus for chicken pox and this infectious disease is very much famous
with the name of varicella in many countries. Outbreak of varicella in year 2015-2017 in US. It
was quite common in school going children and persons who were not vaccine, 49 jurisdiction
and 89 outbreak s which total to 1030 cases were noticed (Lopez, Leung, & Marin, 2017).
According to the study of the outbreak, mild cases were noticed in patients who were vaccine
(<50lesions) and there was no need of any hospitalization. Lesions remain significant among 1-
vs 2-dose vaccines (Lopez, Leung, & Marin, 2017). Surveillance is continued with the second
dose for breaking of the outbreak of disease.
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF VARICELLA
Structure of virus is very small whose target is always to attack human cell to replicate
themselves. It comes from family of herpes zoster family. There classification is always done on
their morphological, physical and chemical properties. Core, capsid, tegument and envelop are

the four main parts of the VZN .Outer covering is envelop which is made up of lipid bilayer with
glycoprotein which binds with cell receptors of host cell (Mohsen & McKendrick, 2003). Next to
the developed envelop, there is tegument which is composed of viral proteins. Then it contains
nucleocapsid which stores the items of the capsule. Core is tucked within nucleocapsid on which
lifeline of virus depends. Treatment is typically based on symptoms of the patient, which
includes rashes on skin, direct fluorescent antibody, smear, and amniocentesis.
.
PATHOGENICITY AND VIRULANCE
The varicella zoster virus is transmitted through inhaling of infected secretions or contact with
infected parts of the skin. This means that the virus is mostly spread through coughing and
sneezing while people are infected through inhaling the pathogens (Zerboni, Sen, Oliver, &
Arvin, 2014). Once the viral with the contaminated droplets enter the airborne, the incubation
period is it takes an incubation period of 10-21 days where the virus spreads into the lymphatic
nodes, lungs or the liver. As the virus progresses in the incubation period it enters the skin
through CD4+ and CD8+ T cells leading to secondary viremia. Once the incubation has reached
its full stage, small skin vesicles with pus and infected skin particles are pushed to the skin
surface which are called pox of chicken pox. The virulence of the disease varies from individual
to individual, some people few spots on parts of their body while others get spots all over their
body (Kadri, Saleem-ur-Rehman, Rehana, & Gergianaki, 2017). The disease is not lethal since
most people recover by resting and the normal duration for the disease is 10-14 days. The disease
is mostly contagious during the first 2-5 days.
LABORATORY DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO DETECT INCIDENCE OF THE CAUSATIVE
MICROORGANISM AND IMMUNITY RESPONSE OF THE BODY

The clinical presentation of the virus makes laboratory testing rarely required in clinical settings.
Laboratory testing of Varicella Zoster Virus is used to differentiate chicken pox from other
conditions like shingles. There are three common methods used for testing; direct, virus isolation
and serology (Weinberg, Canniff, Rouphael, Mehta, Muligan, Whitaker & Levin, 2017). Direct
methods of testing include cytology where smearing is done on the base of the skin lesion to
reveal the characteristic of multinucleate giant cells. The second direct method is electron
microscopy where the herpes virus particles are seen in the fluid. The virus isolation method uses
vesicle fluid and scraping from the base of fresh lesion where immunofluorescence of the cell
sheet by the monoclonal antibodies is used to determine the presence of the virus. Lastly,
serology uses paired acute and convalescent sera and then backed up by virus isolation to
differentiate HSV from VZV. The immune responses are initiated by the body is to fight the
pathogens of the disease which makes the virus to become inactive and settle down in nerve
cells. The body produces antibodies to the infection which makes the body to become immune
from catching the disease again. However, this virus can become active and come back in the
form of shingles.
THE USE OF ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT FOR SELECTED CAUSATIVE
MICROORGANISM AND PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES FOR INFECTION RISK
MANAGEMENT
The virus can be treated with several methods geared to prevent skin infections. At home,
calamine lotions and colloidal oatmeal baths can be used to relieve itching of the skin once the
lesions start appearing. On the other hand, over-the-counter non-aspirin drugs like
acetaminophen are used to relieve fever. However, it is advisable to visit a healthcare provider if
the infected is less than one year, has weakened immune system or pregnant (Kadri, Saleem-ur-
Rehman, Rehana, & Gergianaki, 2017). Further, if the fever lasts more than four days and rises
above normal temperatures, then home help will not have been effective. The virus is prevented
through a vaccine that is safe and effective to the disease. The role of the vaccine is to prevent
the severe effects of the disease which makes sure that even if a vaccinated person gets infected
with chicken pox, the signs are mild with fewer red spots with no fever as compared to those
who a=have not been vaccinated.

Sources:
References
Kadri, S.M., Saleem, R., Rehana, K., & Gergianaki, I. (2017). Rising Trends of Chicken Pox
Outbreaks among School Children in Kashmir, India-Suggestions for Health Policy.
Bacteriology and Virology Research.
Lopez, A. S., Leung, J., & Marin, M. (2017). Varicella Outbreak Surveillance in the United
States, 2015–2017. Open Forum for Infectious Diseases, 4.
Mohsen, A., & McKendrick, M. (2003). Varicella pneumonia in adults. European Respiratory
Journal, 21, 886-891.
Weinberg, A., Canniff, J., Rouphael, N., Mehta, A., Mulligan, M., Whitaker, J. A., & Levin, M.
J. (2017). Varicella-Zoster Virus–Specific Cellular Immune Responses to the Live
Attenuated Zoster Vaccine in Young and Older Adults. The Journal of Immunobiology,
199(2), 604-612.
Zerboni, L., Sen, N., Oliver, S. L., & Arvin, A. M. (2014). Molecular mechanisms of varicella
zoster virus pathogenesis. Nature reviews Microbiology, 12(3), 197-210.