(CMR) Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez, the Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health for the Cayman Islands, has called for increased vigilance and surveillance after six cases of chickenpox were confirmed among students in two schools.
In a memorandum sent to healthcare professionals, Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said given the contagious nature of chickenpox, urgent increased vigilance and surveillance was being requested of the medical community.
Healthcare professionals are being asked to be extra vigilant in identifying potential chickenpox cases, especially among school-aged children. They are also asked to pay close attention to patients presenting with symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and the characteristic itchy, blister-like rash.
The acting CMO has also called for prompt reporting of suspected cases to ensure timely and accurate data collection, which is crucial for managing and controlling the outbreak.
Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a type of herpes virus. It is often a mild illness, characterized by an itchy rash on the face, scalp and trunk with pink spots and tiny fluid-filled blisters that dry and become scabs four to five days later.
Serious complications, although rare, can occur mainly in infants, adolescents, adults and persons with a weakened immune system. These complications include bacterial infections of skin blisters, pneumonia, and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). In temperate climates, such as the Northeast, chickenpox occurs most frequently in the late winter and early spring.
Chickenpox is a common childhood illness with 90 percent of the cases occurring in children younger than ten years of age. Most people who are vaccinated will not get chickenpox. Those who are vaccinated and develop chickenpox usually have a mild form of the illness. They have fewer spots and recover faster.