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| Where you live could be a factor in developing chickenpox |
Some years ago, a friend informed me of being taken ill and as a good friend for that matter I proceeded to the house to visit and wish the friend a speedy recovery. I found out that the friend was stricken down with chickenpox. I asked if the friend had gone to see a doctor, the friend replied that for chickenpox people have advised that the best prescription is gulping down couple of glasses of Apio (i.e. locally brewed alcoholic gin). This friend's mother was a nurse and the sibling was then a medical student. I was surprised by the level of ignorance at high places. Eventually succeeded in persuading the friend to seek medical care for the chickenpox. More significantly, you need not take alcohol to get the disease expel on the skin whether this belief has any veracity or not. And lastly, sun light is utterly free.
There is good news in the air for people who get infected by this highly contagious disease especially in places like Ghana where the sun is in abundance. Latest scientific evidence shows that exposure of the infected skin to sunshine stops chickenpox spreading. This is hurray news because people no longer have to live in fear of contracting the infection from a close buddy.
Exposure to sunlight may help impede the spread of chickenpox, claim researchers.
The University of London team found chickenpox less common in regions with high UV levels, reports the journal Virology.
Sunlight may inactivate viruses on the skin, making it harder to pass on.
However, other experts say that other factors, including temperature, humidity, and even living conditions are equally likely to play a role.
The varicella-zoster virus is highly contagious, while it can be spread through the coughs and sneezes in the early stages of the infection, the main source is contact with the trademark rash of blisters and spots.
Pollution
UV light has long been known to inactivate viruses, and Dr Phil Rice, from St George's, University of London, who led the research, believes that this holds the key why chickenpox is less common and less easily passed from person to person in tropical countries.
It could also help explain why chickenpox is more common in the colder seasons in temperate countries such as the UK - as people have less exposure to sunlight, he said.
He examined data from 25 earlier studies on varicella-zoster virus in a variety of countries around the world, and plotted these data against a range of climatic factors.
This showed an obvious link between UV levels and chickenpox virus prevalence.
Even initially confusing results could be explained - the peak incidence of chickenpox in India and Sri Lanka is during the hottest, driest and sunniest season.
However, Dr Rice found that, due to atmospheric pollution, UV rays were actually much lower during this season compared with the rainier seasons.
He said: "No-one had considered UV as a factor before, but when I looked at the epidemiological studies they showed a good correlation between global latitude and the presence of the virus."
Professor Judy Breuer from University College London said that while UV could well be contributing to the differences in the prevalence of chickenpox between tropical and temperate regions, there were other factors which needed to be considered.
She said: "Lots of things aside from UV could affect it - heat, humidity and social factors such as overcrowding.
"It's quite possible that UV is having an effect, but we don't have any firm evidence showing the extent this is happening."
