David W. Kimberlin, MD, Nathan Price, MD, 2016. "Chickenpox (Chapter 227)", American Academy of Pediatrics Textbook of Pediatric Care, Thomas K. McInerny, MD, FAAP, Henry M. Adam, MD, FAAP, Deborah E. Campbell, MD, FAAP, Thomas G. DeWitt, MD, FAAP, Jane Meschan Foy, MD, FAAP, Deepak M. Kamat, MD, PhD, FAAP, Rebecca Baum, MD, FAAP, Kelly J. Kelleher, MD, MPH, FAAP
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Chickenpox (varicella) is a childhood viral disease characterized by a pruritic vesicular rash that appears in crops. It is highly contagious and has been regarded as a relatively benign disease, in as much as complications are rare in healthy children. However, in the pre-vaccine era, more than 100 persons died every year from varicella, and the increasing number of children who are at risk for severe disease because they are immunosuppressed ensures that varicella remains a pathogen capable of causing significant mortality and morbidity.1 Additionally, the economic and social costs of days lost from school and from the work...