title: Epidemiological investigation of a case of chickenpox in a medical college in Kancheepuram, India.
abstract: Chickenpox is an acute, highly infectious disease caused by human herpesvirus 3. The disease is highly communicable with a secondary attack rate of almost 90%. Secondary cases can occur due to their exposure to the primary case. The main aim of the current epidemiological investigation was to trace the probable source of infection and prevent the emergence of secondary cases. The epidemiological investigation showed that the index case was the primary case as well and that there were no secondary cases because of the immediate isolation of the primary case. This epidemiological investigation reinforced that effective preventive and control measures, if implemented timely for the primary case, can reduce the risk of transmission of infection from case to susceptible contacts and thus prevent the emergence of subsequent secondary cases.
authors.affiliation: MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Kancheepuram.
authors.forename: Saurabh Rambiharilal
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.affiliation: MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Kancheepuram.
authors.forename: Prateek Saurabh
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.affiliation: MD, Professor, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Kancheepuram.
authors.forename: Jegadeesh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramasamy
keywords: Isolation; primary case; varicella