An outbreak of chickenpox has affected at least 10 children at Ashokjhar village in Jajpur district in Odisha state, India, according to a recent Times of India report. Of the Juang tribal children affected, four have reportedly died from the childhood viral infection.
There are complaints from parents saying they are not getting any help from health officials. A medical team was to visit the village earlier this week to determine the extent of the situation.
According to a Wikipedia entry, Juang are a tribal (Adivasi) group of people of the Munda ethnic group found mainly in the Gonsaika hill range of Keonjhar district of Odisha, India. There are about 10,000 Juang in total.
The TOI says some Juangs come down from the hills once a week to purchase salt, kerosene and cooking oil from a haat in the foothills of Chingudipala. Juangs live in small huts on the hills at Gohiasala, Naliadaba, Taldiha, Nagada and Ashokjhar, said Bikali Pradhan of Ashokhjar. The nearest government hospital in Sukinda is 35 km away.
Chickenpox is a common, usually benign childhood disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpes family. This virus causes two distinct diseases; varicella (chickenpox) is the primary infection, and later when VSV reactivates,herpes zoster (shingles).
Chickenpox is highly contagious and is spread by coughing and sneezing, by direct contact and by aerosolization of the virus from skin lesions. You can also get it by contact with the vesicle secretions from shingles.
The disease is characterized by fever and a red, itchy skin rash of that usually starts on the abdomen, back or face and then spreads to nearly all parts of the body. The rash begins as small red bumps that appear as pimples or insect bites. They then develop into thin-walled blisters that are filled with clear fluid which collapse on puncture. The blisters then breaks, crusts over, and leaves dry brown scabs.
The chickenpox lesions may be present in several stages of maturity and are more abundant on covered skinrather than exposed. Lesions may also be found in the mouth, upper respiratory tract and genitals.
Chickenpox is contagious from 1-2 days before the rash forms and continues until all the lesions are crusted over (usually about 5 days).
This disease is more serious in adults than in children. Complications of chickenpox are rare, but include pneumonia, encephalitis and secondary bacterial infections.
Infection with this virus usually gives lifelong immunity, although second attacks have been documented in immunocompromised people. The viral infection remains latent, and disease may recur years later asshingles.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the chickenpox vaccine is the best protection against chickenpox. The vaccine is made from weakened varicella virus that produces an immune response in your body that protects you against chickenpox. The chickenpox vaccine was licensed for use in the United States in 1995. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
