Expectant mothers have been reminded that chickenpox is “very dangerous” for pregnant women, amid an outbreak of the disease across the country. 

Schools have sent letters home warning that numerous children are off sick with the disease. 

The first symptom of chickenpox is typically a small, spotty rash. It can appear anywhere on a person’s body but is often seen first on the head or neck. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, immunologist Professor Christine Loscher described the outbreak as “fairly normal” but warned that it is highly contagious. 

“We probably get about 60,000 cases a year in Ireland of chickenpox,” she explained. 

“Because it's not a notifiable disease, it's probably much more than that.” 

A girl with chickenpox. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Professor Loscher added that while some people consider chickenpox a "harmless" disease, nothing could be further from the truth. 

“For some people, it can be really severe,” she said. 

“Really risky side effects are things like viral pneumonia and that usually ends up in a hospitalisation; about 200 children a year are hospitalised with chickenpox.” 

While chickenpox mostly affects children under the age of 10, adults sometimes get it as well. 

Pregnant women are especially at risk and the HSE advises anyone expecting a baby to avoid contact with someone who has chickenpox. 

“It's very dangerous for pregnant women when they're exposed to chickenpox, particularly if they haven't had chickenpox as a child themselves,” Professor Loscher said. 

“So, the risk for them is not only for them, but also for their baby. 

“The advice always is if you're a pregnant woman and you have been exposed to somebody with chickenpox, consult with your GP.” 

Once a person has chickenpox, they usually develop antibodies that make them immune to the disease. 

“You can have an antibody test on and actually routinely in maternity hospitals,” Professor Loscher said.

“They would routinely, for the most part, check women to see if they have antibodies to chickenpox so that they can be reassured that exposure is not dangerous.”

Main image: The chest of a young child with chickenpox. Picture by: Alamy.com.