Why do we get chickenpox only once?

Have you gotten chickenpox? You must have heard people saying that having it as a child is much better than having it as an adult due to the complications which may arise. Ever wondered why some illnesses are able to affect us only once? Well, let’s understand it better through chickenpox…

What is chickenpox?

Chickenpox is a highly contagious infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), resulting in a very itchy, blister-like rash, fever, and fatigue. It usually starts with fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, and headache, followed by a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters that eventually scab over. It is contagious from one or two days before the rash appears until all blisters have crusted over (typically 5–7 days) and spreads through the air (coughing/sneezing) or contact with fluid from the blisters.

Immunity battles

Once you have had it, you usually develop lifelong immunity as your body fights the initial infection, allowing your immune system to develop robust, long-term immunity to the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). After recovery, your body produces antibodies that recognise and fight off the virus, preventing reinfection. However, the virus may remain dormant in the body and reactivate later in life as a painful condition called shingles.,

Representative picture.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu files photo

Antibodies are proteins our body makes when infected. They cover germs and stop them from taking over our cells and multiplying. After beating our infection, most antibodies fade, but some stay to fight the same germ if it returns. That’s why antibody tests show past infections and why we often don’t get sick twice. We get reinfected if the germ changes (mutates), so our body does not know it or if our first response was weak. Colds and fever change quickly, evading immunity. Polio does not, helping us nearly wipe it out.

For germs which do not mutate as much and spark a strong defence, immunity lasts longer. A 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine said even half of measles or mumps virus antibodies take over 200 years to go away, while chickenpox takes only 50 years. That’s another reason that there is a chance you could have chickenpox again as an adult. The only way to stop the spread of the virus from person to person is to prevent infected people from sharing things with healthy people. Stay safe!