What is the origin of Chicken Pox?

Question

Just want to know out of curiosity. What is the earliest known case of chicken pox ever recorded? Is CP a mutation or relative of another diesase or disorder? Is it related to small pox, by chance?

Answer 1

don't know the answers to your questions but Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella. I don't think it is a mutation of another disease, it is a disease all its own. It is similar to small pox but caused by a different form of the virus. Smallpox is deadly, i think killing 30% of those contracting it. We used to vacinate against smallpox before the early 70's but we don't routinely anymore but we have been vacinating against chickenpox for about 10 years, now.