About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffChickenpox, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, is highly contagious, and it can spread quickly. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with the rash or by droplets dispersed into the air by coughing or sneezing.
Your risk of catching chickenpox is higher if you:
- Haven't had chickenpox
- Haven't been vaccinated for chickenpox
- Work in or attend a school or child care facility
- Live with children
People who've been vaccinated against chickenpox are usually immune to the virus. The same is true of anyone who has had chickenpox in the past. People at greatest risk of contracting chickenpox include anyone who hasn't been vaccinated or who has never had the disease.
- Harriman KH, et al. CDC Traveler's Health: Yellow book. Varicella (chickenpox). http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-2/varicella.aspx. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Albrecht MA. Clinical features of varicella-zoster virus infection: Chickenpox. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Albrecht MA. Prevention of varicella-zoster virus infection: Chickenpox. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Whitley RJ. Varicella-zoster virus. In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 76th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00137-5--s0040&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00137-5--s0045&uniq=210636258&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&sid=1027882434#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00137-5%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-443-06839-3. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Albrecht MA. Treatment of varicella-zoster virus infection: Chickenpox. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Burnell PA. Varicella (chickenpox, shingles). In: Goldman L, et al., eds. Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/210636258-4/1027901179/1492/1333.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50403-1_16674. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0-18 Years — United States, 2010. MMWR. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/child/2010/10_0-18yrs_11x17fold-booklet-pr.pdf. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Chickenpox. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. https://merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch189/ch189b.html. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Herpes zoster vaccine Q&A (shingles). http://198.246.98.21/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/vac-faqs.htm. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Varicella. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00031-7--s29000&uniq=210636258&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&sid=1027914876#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00031-7--s29000%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-323-05610-6. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 27, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on