Some epidemics happen easily in winter. At present, the incidence rate of chicken pox in Beijing has been on the rising. Last week 502 cases were reported, 49.40% higher compared with the same period last year. This year all together 131, 36 cases were reported in the whole city. Therefore, I hereby remind the citizens of the city, especially parents of students, to make full preparation for the prevention of chicken pox.

At present, Beijing Health Bureau has requested that the hygiene and disease control departments at each level of the whole city intensify the monitoring and report of epidemic information of chicken pox within its own jurisdiction, especially the prevention work in places with dense people such as nursery, kindergarten 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 of windows in the classrooms and other places.
　　
The chicken pox is a kind of acute infectious disease induced by the chicken pox herpes zoster virus and is highly infectious; however children are more easily infected. In the nursery, kindergarten and primary and high schools especially, its breakout and prevalence are easily induced. After one is infected with the chicken pox virus, the latent period lasts generally 12～21 days. In the beginning, symptoms for upper respiratory tract infection may occur, for example, pyrexia, headache, angina and cough etc. After about 1-2 days, the skin rash develops from the body to the face and head, which includes four phases: red macula - papule - blister tetter –scab. The skin rash itches very much sometimes, which can result in the dysphoria of the children; so the children often scratch the skin with fingers, which may cause skin infection, a most common complications for chicken pox. The whole duration of the disease is around 10 days. The immunity is permanent and in general, it will not happen again after recovering from the disease. However, the herpes zoster possibly still occurs to a small number of them after they grow up, the so called “Chanyaolong”. At present, there is no highly effective treatment means for chicken pox in the medical field, and symptomatic treatment is generally adopted; for example, 2% gentian violet may be applied after the blister is in ulceration, and the therapy with antibiotics may be used to cure the secondary bacterial infection.
　　
Chicken pox is highly infectious and the disease is mainly infected by direct contact of chicken pox herpes liquid or droplet of respiratory tract; it can also be infected by contact with the tools infected by the virus, for example, toy, stationary and door knob etc. 90% of the children liable to infection may be infected with the disease after touching the above stuff. And after the children are infected with the chicken pox herpes zoster virus, they shall be insolated until all skin rashes are dried and the scab formed. Since both Spring and Winter are seasons with high incidence of chicken pox, the collective units such as nursery, kindergarten and all schools shall focus on the following two preventive measures: 1. The room shall be ventilated frequently and cleaned with wet mops; 2. Strengthen the morning-and-noon inspections so as to discover dubious cases in time and perform the isolation and treatment as soon as possible to avoid extensive breakout.

In addition, the inoculation chicken pox vaccine is the best way of preventing the disease. At present, the chicken pox vaccine is a kind of vaccine that is inoculated at one’s own expense. The inoculation vaccine has good preventive effect on children above one year old. In order to avoid the infection of chicken pox after the children enter the nursery and school, it is especially suggested that the children inoculate a dose of children pox vaccine before entering the nursery or the school, and the inoculation place can be the immunoprophylaxis clinic near the domicile.