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Three cases of chickenpox (varicella) have been identified in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Given the incubation period (14-21 days, average 17), all three individuals had been incubating the infection prior to the earthquake on 25 April 2015. The cases, a 6-year-old girl, a 17 and 26-year-old male had all been living in shelters following the earthquake and mixing closely with significant numbers of people. Medical staff visiting other shelters have identified further cases of chickenpox.
Chickenpox is generally considered to be a mild self-limiting childhood disease and is very common in the UK. The infection, howvever, is highly infectious and has more severe consequences for pregnant women, older individuals and the immunocompromised.
Most adults in the UK are immune to chickenpox, having had the illness in childhood. Varicella vaccine is not part of the UK childhood vaccination programme; the vaccine is available to selected risk groups only.
