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Chickenpox
(varicella) is a contagious illness that is caused by a type of herpes
virus.
Symptoms include a
fever, a generally ill feeling, and the development of a widely scattered,
itchy rash of red spots and fluid-filled blisters. It takes about 1 or 2 days for a chickenpox red spot (macule) to go through all of its stages. It will blister, burst, dry, and crust over.
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By
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Healthwise Staff |
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Primary Medical Reviewer
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John Pope, MD - Pediatrics |
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Specialist Medical Reviewer
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Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MD, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics |
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Last Revised
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October 13, 2011 |