We analyzed varicella surveillance data in Connecticut for 2001-2005, to describe the epidemiology of varicella in a highly vaccinated population after the introduction of varicella vaccine and to determine the number of preventable cases that had occurred during school-related outbreaks. Overall, the incidence of varicella did not change during the surveillance period. Vaccination rates among ...

Although chickenpox is a generally mild, self-limited illness of children, it can cause fatal disease in adults. Accumulating reports from tropical countries showed a high prevalence of seronegativity among the adults, implying that varicella diseases could become a heavy burden in tropical countries. However, in the situation of humanitarian emergencies in tropical areas, chickenpox has largel...

BACKGROUND Acyclovir has the potential to shorten the course of chickenpox which may result in reduced costs and morbidity. We conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials that evaluated acyclovir for the treatment of chickenpox in otherwise healthy children. METHODS MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched. The reference lists of relevant articles were examine...