Which statement accurately describes Varicella (Chickenpox)?

• A. A highly contagious spread by droplets from the respiratory tract causing blister-like vesicles over the body. The virus can be reactivated later in life and reoccur as shingles. Stress is a common trigger.
• B. It is caused by a bacterial throat infection that forms a false membrane.
• C. It is a fungal infection that primarily affects the feet.
• D. It is non-contagious and presents as a dry rash only.

Answer: (C)

Varicella is a viral illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus, spread mainly through respiratory droplets and contact with fluid from the vesicles. It produces a distinctive, itchy vesicular rash that appears in crops, with lesions evolving from red spots to fluid-filled vesicles and then crusting over. The illness is highly contagious from a few days before the rash appears until all the lesions have crusted. The virus can remain dormant in nerve tissue and reactivate later in life as shingles, often triggered by stress or immune changes. The other descriptions refer to different conditions—bacterial diphtheria with a false membrane, a fungal infection like athlete’s foot, or a non-contagious dry rash—so they do not describe Varicella accurately.