A 15-year experience with varicella infections in a pediatric burn unit

Because of their well described global immunosuppression, varicella infection may be hazardous in burned children. It is therefore important to prevent cross-infections within pediatric burn units. We describe a 15-year experience with varicella in a pediatric burn unit, focusing on the morbidity associated with the infection and measures that have been effective in the prevention of cross-infection. We found that varicella infection in acutely burned children is associated with pneumonitis, but little wound related morbidity. Despite the deceptively long incubation period, prompt identification and isolation of index cases was associated with an extremely low incidence of cross-infection. Until widespread administration of varicella vaccine confers herd immunity, varicella remains a threat to hospitalized young children, highlighting the importance of a well planned and executed index case isolation strategy.