Chicken Pox is caused due to infection by?

RRB Staff Nurse Kolkata-2015

Applied Microbiology & Infection control

Easy

Appeared in: RRB Staff Nurse Kolkata-2015

Explanation

Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious disease caused by the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV).
VZV is a type of herpes virus, specifically Human alphaherpesvirus 3.
Primary infection with VZV results in the characteristic vesicular rash of chickenpox.
The virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets and direct contact with lesions.
After the initial infection, VZV establishes a latent infection in sensory nerve ganglia and can reactivate later in life to cause shingles (herpes zoster).

Option A: Fungi are a distinct class of microorganisms. They cause mycoses (fungal infections) such as ringworm, candidiasis, and athlete's foot, which have different pathologies and presentations than the viral exanthem of chickenpox.
Option B: Bacteria are single-celled organisms responsible for a wide range of infections like strep throat, tuberculosis, and skin infections like impetigo. They are treated with antibiotics, unlike viral infections.
Option D: Protozoa are single-celled parasitic eukaryotes. They cause diseases such as malaria, giardiasis, and amoebiasis, which are typically transmitted through vectors (like mosquitoes) or contaminated food/water and have very different symptoms.

Visual 1: Image - A close-up of the characteristic chickenpox rash, showing vesicles in various stages of development (papules, vesicles, and crusted lesions), often described as 'dew drops on a rose petal'. This helps in visual recognition of the disease.
Visual 2: Diagram - The life cycle of the Varicella-Zoster Virus, illustrating primary infection (chickenpox), latency in the dorsal root ganglia, and reactivation (shingles). This clarifies the relationship between the two diseases caused by the same virus.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Causative agent of Chickenpox helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses must implement strict airborne and contact precautions for hospitalized patients with chickenpox to prevent nosocomial (hospital-acquired) spread, as the virus is highly contagious.
Patient education is a key nursing role, focusing on the importance of the varicella vaccine for prevention, managing itching to prevent secondary bacterial skin infections, and advising against the use of aspirin in children with viral illnesses due to the risk of Reye's syndrome.
What if? If the patient were an immunocompromised adult, the nurse's priority would be to monitor for severe complications like varicella pneumonia or encephalitis, as the disease is much more serious in this population compared to healthy children.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is to recall the causative agent for a specific disease: Chickenpox.
Second, access your knowledge of microbiology and infectious diseases to classify the common pathogens (Fungi, Bacteria, Virus, Protozoa).
Third, recall that Chickenpox is a common childhood illness characterized by a vesicular rash and is known to be of viral origin.
Fourth, specifically associate Chickenpox with the Varicella-Zoster Virus.
Finally, evaluate the given options. 'Virus' is the correct category for the causative agent, making it the right answer. Eliminate the other categories as they cause different types of diseases.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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