Community Corner

Chickenpox Outbreak Reported at Elementary School in Carlsbad

Aviara Oaks Elementary School notified students and staff about the outbreak as well as those at neighboring Aviara Oaks Middle School because the schools are located on the same campus and share some facilities.

UPDATE: Wednesday, May 29, 3:45 p.m.

Leslie Harden, principal at the school, told Carlsbad Patch that a student was first identified to have chickenpox "a few weeks ago." From that time on, school officials continued to monitor the situation – informing students, staff and parents about the discovery with a letter sent home with students.

When the number of infected reached five earlier this week, it prompted school officials to send out a phone blast to parents Tuesday night, informing them and asking that they be aware of symptoms and signs. In addition, the school contacted the county health department, which classified the incident as an "outbreak."

Harden clarified the health department's determination.

"Any time there is a report of five or more, the County Health Department calls it an outbreak," she said. "We have taken the proper precautions. Any time there is any report of a communicable disease, we notify parents immediately. We are continuing to monitor the situation and are really taking the lead from the San Diego County Department of Health." 

Harden said that the adult infected was one of the school's staff, a worker in their Kid Care program.

She said that "off the top of her head," she didn't know if any of the afflicted students had returned to school yet or not, but said, "I imagine they would be back, since it was over the period of a few weeks."

Original story:

The County of San Diego made the following announcement on Wednesday, May 29, 2013:


Five kindergartners and one adult at Aviara Oaks Elementary School in the Carlsbad Unified School District have been diagnosed with chickenpox (varicella), according to San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) officials.

The children diagnosed include two 5-year-olds and three 6-year-olds. One child received the two recommended doses of the varicella vaccine, but the other five individuals were not immunized.

The school notified students and staff about the outbreak as well as those at neighboring Aviara Oaks Middle School because the schools are located on the same campus and share some facilities.

“Chickenpox is a preventable disease,” said Eric McDonald, M.D., M.P.H., county deputy public health officer. “By having their children immunized with the recommended two doses of the vaccine, parents can help their children avoid chickenpox and prevent it from spreading to others.”

There have been eight cases of chickenpox reported in San Diego County so far in 2013. Chickenpox is not reportable to the County Public Health Department unless it occurs in an outbreak or results in a hospitalization or death.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella virus. The disease is easily spread by coughing, sneezing or being in contact with chickenpox blisters.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of chickenpox vaccine. Children should be vaccinated at 12-15 months of age and receive the second dose at 4-6 years of age.

Symptoms of chickenpox include a skin rash of blister-like lesions, covering the body but usually more concentrated on the face, scalp, and trunk. The risk of complications increases after puberty and includes bacterial infection of skin lesions, dehydration and pneumonia.

Most, but not all, infected individuals have fever, which develops just before or when the rash appears. If exposed, persons who have been vaccinated against the disease may get a milder illness, with less severe rash and mild or no fever.

The incubation period is generally from 14-16 days from exposure, with a range of 10-21 days. The illness lasts about 5-10 days.

For more information on chickenpox and immunizations in general, please call the HHSA Immunization Branch at (866) 358-2966 or visit the website at www.sdiz.org.


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