09 May,2011 06:31 AM IST | | Priyanka Vora
Doctors are seeing an increasing number of adults suffering from the disease. They find the rise alarming because of a heightened risk of complications; 80% of chicken pox patients at Kasturba Hospital are adults
While most people have memories of contracting chicken pox as kids, getting a leave from school and waiting while the disease ran its course harmlessly, many adults in the city are finding themselves to be not so lucky.
Doctors have expressed surprise at the disease, which oneu00a0 usually contracts in childhood, manifesting itself in a large number of adults in the city. The figures have swung so wildly that Kasturba Hospital, the city's only hospital for infectious diseases, has seen more cases of adults contracting chicken pox this year thanu00a0 of children getting the disease.
Topsyu00a0Turvy: The figures have swung so wildly that Kasturba Hospital
has seen more cases of adults contracting chicken pox this year than
of children getting the disease. File Pic
Nearly 80 per cent of the hospital's 120 chicken pox patients are adults. Doctors say there is cause for alarm in this development because while the disease is mild in children and does not affect them too badly, it causes several complications like high fever in adults, which can necessitate hospitalisation.
"We have close to 120 chicken pox patients in the hospital and a majority of them are adults. If a person has suffered from chicken pox in his childhood, the chances of a second attack are minimal. Most of the patients admitted here have got chicken pox for the first time," said Dr Umesh Aigal, medical superintendent, Kasturba hospital. Explaining the reason for this, he said, "Most of the chicken pox patients admitted to our hospital are not locals and have contracted the disease after coming to the city. They may have not been exposed to the virus in their childhood and, thus, may have contracted it after coming to Mumbai." He added that the hospital had seen 80 cases of chicken pox around the same time last year.
Other doctors, too, say they have noticed a significant increase in adults contracting the disease. Dr Vidula Patel, a dermatologist from Dr L H Hiranandani hospital, said, "Chicken pox is more common in childhood and cases of adults contracting it are relatively rare. This year, however, we have seen many such cases. It could be because of the living conditions in Mumbai, which are conducive for the virus to spread."
How it spreads
The virus that causes chickenpox is varicella zoster and the disease spreads through direct contact with the virus. It can also spread through the air in the form of water droplets. The virus thrives in temperate climate and while cases are reported throughout the year in the city, most of them are seen in summer.
"Though chicken pox is common across the country, it may not spread as easily in other places as it does in Mumbai. Owing to small homes and congested means of transportation, adults who have not been exposed to the virus in their childhood are made susceptible to the disease in the city. This could explain the increase in chicken pox cases in adults," added Dr Patel.
Complications
Consultant Physician Dr Pratit Samdani of Cumbulla Hospital said, "Chicken pox is mild in children, but it can lead to a variety of complications when adults contract it. This is why adults often need to be hospitalised because of the disease. The rise in cases among adults is alarming as, so far, we had seen only 3-5 per cent of all chicken pox cases occurring in adults. A second attack is very uncommon."
"When adults get chicken pox, they continue to work despite us advising them complete rest and isolation. Chances of the disease spreading are higher if they continue to come in contact with other people," added Dr Samdani, who has seen 10 cases of chicken pox in adults in May alone.
Civic-private divide
Kasturba, being a civic hospital and the only dedicated facility for infectious diseases in the city, admits patients suffering from chicken pox but the same is not true for most private hospitals. "If you have chicken pox, private hospitals do not admit you unless you have other complications as well. The reason for this is that chicken pox spreads easily and the immunity of other patients in the hospital is already low," said a senior doctor.
Dr S R Shenoy, who runs a private clinic in Goregoan, said, "Chicken pox patients should be isolated and adults should be kept under medical supervision as they develop complications like high fever. I do not give fitness certificates to my adult patients until the black scab is shed because they can easily spread the virus to other people until then."
Complications
The following complications may arise in adult sufferers of chicken pox:
'u00a0High fever
' Shingles or herpes zoster, which causes painful, burning blisters
' Bacterial infection
'Acute cerebellar ataxia, which causes progressive irritability, difficulty in walking, and with vision and speech
' Aricella meningoencephalitis, which causes sudden but transient delirium, seizures, headache and neck pain
' Varicella pneumonia
' Liver complications, including transient hepatitis
Vaccination
The varicella vaccine has been known to prevent the disease in up to 90 per cent of cases. People who contract chicken pox after getting the shot suffer from a milder form of the disease. The cost of the vaccine ranges between Rs 1,150 and Rs 1,450 and it is optional in India.
Scarred
People who have suffered from chicken pox and have visible marks left from the blisters have begun to approach cosmetic surgeons to rid them of the scars. Cosmetic surgeon Dr Satish Bhatia said, "I see at least 4 patients coming in for treatment of chicken pox scars every fortnight. We treat the scars using fillers and lasers." Cost varies between Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000.
Party time
In the United States, if a child has chicken pox, mothers will typically get together for coffee or lunch at someone's house. These parties are popular as parents believe that it is better to get chicken pox at a young age as older children and adults suffer more severely.
