Chicken Pox & Candidiasis
Alyssa Carlton
Chicken Pox & Shingles
Chicken pox, aka Varicella, is a virus known as the Varicella-Zoster virus. This also causes shingles, they are two different manifestations of the same virus. Small children get chicken pox more often than adults, however once people who have had chicken pox in their childhood some develop shingles from the virus. People who have been vaccinated against the virus and people who have had chicken pox before are immune.
Chicken Pox
Chicken pox is highly contagious and is spread through direct contact with chicken pox or droplets dispersed into the air by coughing or sneezing. You have an elevated risk of getting chicken pox if you have not been vaccinated, have not had chicken pox before, and live or work around children. Chicken pox can be deadly.
Infection Cycle
Model of the varicella zoster virus (VZV) life cycle. VZV infects the human host when virus particles reach mucous epithelial sites of entry. Candidiasis results from an overgrowth of a yeast that lives on the human body in small amounts. When the Candida infection over grows it causes a yeast infection. This is not contagious.
Candidiasis
Candidiasis is a fungal infection that can affect the skin, genitals, throat, mouth, and blood. This is the most common type of yeast infection. Depending on where the infection is affects who is at risk and how it is treated. The most at risk people are infants, elderly, patients getting chemotherapy, and people with aids or other conditions that weaken the immune system.
Symptoms & Treatments
Symptoms of chicken pox are high fever, body aches, rash and spots, loss of appetite. Acyclovir, an antiviral medication, is used for the treatment of chicken pox. 90% of children are vaccinated against this virus and become immune. Symptoms of oral candidiasis include white spots on the tongue and in the mouth, redness and discomfort on the skin, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and cracking of the lips. To treat this you take an anti fungal medicine to kill the yeast that can come in a mouthwash or a pill. The candiasis that affects the vagina includes symptoms of itching, soreness, redness, and clumpy discharge. This is treated the same way with anti fungal medicine to kill the fungus. You have to continue using the medicine for six months for the infection to clear up.