I had a very mild case of chicken pox because I got it while I was having typhoid and was receiving a lot of medication. My brother just got chicken pox. Is it possible for me to get it again? And if I do not get it, will I be a carrier- meaning can I spread it to others.
2006-12-24 13:45:23 · 23 answers · asked by Chocolate Strawberries. 4 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
chikenpox is viral disease, its virulence is not affected by any medicine you were taking at the time you had it. severity of chikenpox is related directly to the immunity level of the body, the higher the immunity the weaker the severity.
there are some theory that this virus could stay latent in the body ( carrier) and in the adult life gives rise (if activated because of immunity loss) to Zona disease (skin neuroligical lesion). but it does not cause onether episode of chikenpox.
almost certain you will not contract it from your brother and you'll not be acarrier, so relax you have chikenpox immunity for life.
2006-12-24 14:44:24 · answer #1 · answered by late appointment 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Theoretically, if you had an extremely mild case of the chicken pox, you COULD (although unlikely) get it again. That being said, yes, you could pass it on. IF you get it again, yes you are a carrier/transmitter/whatever you want to call it, no matter how mild your case is (side note: I was 15 when I got the chicken pox for the first time, and I got it from my BABY sister who was less than a year old who had a total of seven pox on her body.... I broke out like mad!) More than likely though, if your body has built up enough resistance (which, even in mild cases, it does), if you don't get it, then you will not be able to pass it on. Hope this helps! Merry Christmas
2006-12-24 13:51:47 · answer #2 · answered by 123 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I haven't heard of a carrier for chicken pox... and I've been around a while.
Some of us have a higher immunity to chicken pox than others. My mother tried desperately to infect me as a child, including pushing me to play with a large number of infected neighborhood kids.
Despite that, and multiple exposures as an adult, I have never caught chicken pox... (oddly I'm also immune to poison Ivy/Oak).
It is possible to catch chicken pox a second time, though that is uncommon at best.
I think the both of you will be fine.
-dh
2006-12-24 13:50:12 · answer #3 · answered by delicateharmony 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My understanding is that once you have had chicken pox you cannot get it again. However, you can carry the virus in your system throughout your life and at some point, most likely caused by stress, get shingles. That's what happened to me and the Doctor informed me it was a virus related to having had chicken pox as a child. And no, once over chicken pox and even if carrying traces of the virus in your system, you cannot infect others.
2006-12-24 13:53:02 · answer #4 · answered by Barbz 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Immunity to chicken pox is generally lifelong once you've had it. But...a second outbreak of chicken pox (commonly called shingles or herbes zoster) is possible, and it is non-contagious. It would be best to have a lab test to see if you have developed a high enough titer (antibodies) to ward off another infection. People who do have shingles are usually over 50, by the way
2006-12-24 14:28:09 · answer #5 · answered by maggie_soccer_960 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Immunity to chicken pox is generally lifelong once you've had it. But...a second outbreak of chicken pox (commonly called shingles or herbes zoster) is possible, and it is non-contagious. It would be best to have a lab test to see if you have developed a high enough titer (antibodies) to ward off another infection. People who do have shingles are usually over 50, by the way
2006-12-24 13:52:53 · answer #6 · answered by HoneyBunny 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you had a very mild case, you might want to get a titer drawn by your doctor to see if you have enough antibodies built up against the varicella virus (chicken pox). If your titer is negative, you can get the immunization aganist chicken pox I believe. You shouldn't be able to be a carrier.
2006-12-24 13:48:55 · answer #7 · answered by limeyfan 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can get it more than once - that's why, if you work in health care, you most have a titer(check of antibodies) run - if it's too low - even if you've had chickenpox, you have to get vaccinated.
In addition the same virus causes shingles in older adults - and there's a new vaccination for that too.
2006-12-24 14:11:11 · answer #8 · answered by Connie R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chickenpox has a two-week incubation period and is highly contagious by air transmission two days before symptoms appear. Following primary infection there is usually lifelong protective immunity from further episodes of chickenpox. Recurrent chickenpox is fairly rare but more likely in people with compromised immune systems.
2006-12-24 13:52:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's rare to get it again, but it can happen if you had a very mild case. I had it as a child very mild and had a severe case as an adult. Most people don't get it twice though, but they can get what is called shingles.
2006-12-24 13:48:52 · answer #10 · answered by DNA 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋