A chickenpox infection is highly contagious, and is easily spread from person-to-person. An infection is easily spread through:
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Saliva
- Direct contact with leaking blisters
Those most vulnerable are individuals who have never had an infection or who haven’t been vaccinated against the virus.
Symptoms typically appear between 10 and 21 days following contact with someone (touching or breathing in virus particles from blisters or tiny airborne droplets of infected moisture) who has the virus. Recovery can be as long as 2 weeks.
Once infected with the virus, a person can become contagious within a day or two before any signs of rash, bumps and blisters appear. A person will remain contagious until blisters have crusted and formed scabs. This typically occurs within 5 to 7 days following infection.