As winter approaches soon and the new school term begins, the number of cases of respiratory infectious diseases, especially chicken pox, gradually soars. This week, 260 chicken pox cases were reported throughout Beijing, up 42.08% over last week. A small-scale outbreak occurred in a university, with 28 people infected. All the patients are undergoing separate treatment in the wards of university hospital and getting better. So far, there has been no complications and severe cases reported.

Chicken pox can happen in any season, yet it is most epidemic in winter and spring. This acute infectious disease is caused by varicella-zoster virus and highly infectious to people, especially children at nurseries, knidergatens and schools. After invading the human body, varicella-zoster virus can lie dormant for 12~21 days utill it gives rise to early symptoms, such as fever, headache, angina and respiratory tract infection. About one or two days later, a rash emerges on the patient’s skin, first on the body and limbs, then on the head and facial region. It goes through four stages, namely, red macule, papilla, blister and scab.

Sometimes the skin rash itches very much, leading to the dysphoria of the children; so they often scratch the skin with fingers, which may cause skin infection -- the most common complications for chicken pox. The course of chicken pox lasts about 10 days. After cure, the infected people mostly can gain permanent immunity. Until now, scientists have not found any effective therapy for chicken pox, so they mainly make symptomatic treatments, for instance, applying 2% gentian violet to broken blisters and injecting antibiotics to cure secondary bacterial infection.

Chicken pox is highly infectious and mainly spread through directly touching blister fluid and droplet transmission from respiratory tract as well as virus-contaminated appliances, such as toys, stationery, door handles, etc. If children who are vulnerable to chicken pox touch these contaminated things, 90% of them would be infected and fall ill. Those who are infected with varicella-zoster virus shall be isolated until all skin rashes are dried and scab. As spring and winter are peak seasons for chicken pox, nurseries, kindergartens and schools must pay special attention to the following preventive measures: 1. frequently ventilating rooms and cleaning up with wet brooms; 2. strengthening inspections in the morning and at noon so that suspected cases can be found without delay. Patients should be isolated and given timely treatment to prevent high-incidence and outbreak.

In addition, vaccination against chicken pox is the best way of preventing the disease. The vaccination is not compulsary and should be paid by vaccinees, but it can effectively protect children who are over one year old from chicken pox. In order to protect the children at nurseries and schools, it is particularly suggested that every child take chicken pox vaccine before entering nursery or school, and the inoculation place can be the epidemic prevention clinic near the domicile.

At present, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau has requested that the hygiene and disease control departments throughout the city intensify the monitoring and report of epidemic information of chicken pox within its own jurisdiction, especially the prevention work in places where the density of people is high, such as nurseries, kindergartens and primary and high schools. Once the chicken pox occurs, it shall be handled in time so as to prevent prevalence. Meanwhile, we hope that each nursery, kindergarten and primary and high school further strengthen the student morning-and-noon inspection system, find out the reasons for students' absence and take necessary ventilation measures, such as opening windows in the classrooms and other places.