1. The Chicken Pox

2. What is the Chicken pox?
Chickenpox is a viral infection in which a person develops extremely itchy blisters all over the body.
It is extremely common in children under 12.
Once you have it, the virus remains dormant.

3. Signs and Symptoms
a red, itchy skin rash and insect-like bites that usually appears first on the abdomen or back and face, and then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body.
Flu-like symptoms: high fever, abdominal pain, sore throat, headache.

4. Causes / how it spreads
Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, a member of the herpesvirus family.
You may get chickenpox from touching the fluids from a chickenpox blister, or if someone with the disease coughs or sneezes near you.
A person with chickenpox become contagious 1 to 2 days before their blisters appear and lasts until all the blisters have crusted over.

5. Treatments / Remedy: Ways to help make illness more comfortable:
Vaccine: a vaccine can be given to a child. 85% effective.
Antibiotics can be given to a child if his/her sores become infected.
In the end, time is the only thing that fully cures it.
Ways to help make illness more comfortable:
calamine lotion
oatmeal or warm baths
Bland food if pox are in the mouth
NEVER USE ASPRIN!: Use of aspirin while having chicken pox has been associated with a serious condition called Reyes Syndrome.

6. What to do as a teacher to prevent and handle chicken pox in the classroom:
If an outbreak occurs, have all children checked for symptoms.
Remind parents to have their child vaccinated.
Make sure the child with chickenpox be kept out of school until all blisters have dried, usually about 1 week.
make sure your students wash their hands frequently, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom.

7. Works Cited:
Dowshen, MD, Steven. "Chickenpox." KidsHealth. The Nemours Foundation, Nov Web. 27 Jan < "Chickenpox - PubMed Health." National Library of Medicine. 2 Aug Web. 27 Jan <