Rare Types of Chicken Pox

About 90 percent of cases of chickenpox, a virus characterized by a red, itchy rash all over the body, occur in children ages of four to 10. But in rare cases, infants, adults, pregnant women and people with immune deficiencies become infected, with greater risks of complications.

Chickenpox in Teens and Adults

• According to eMedTV, only five percent of chickenpox cases are people aged 13 and older. However, adult cases make up 33 percent of all hospitalizations and 55 percent of all deaths from chickenpox.

Chickenpox in Infants

• Less commonly than older children, infants can contract the chickenpox virus, which, as with adults, carries a greater risk of complications than in older children.

Shingles

• The same virus that causes chickenpox during childhood can remain in the body and reactivate years later as shingles, a viral infection. According to BabyCenter.com, one in 10 adults, particularly those with a weakened immune system, who have had chickenpox will develop shingles later in life.

Chickenpox in Pregnancy

• Although most women of child-bearing age are immune to the virus, about one to seven in every 10,000 women become infected with chickenpox during their pregnancies, according to BabyCenter.com. Women who become infected with chickenpox in the first 20 weeks of their pregnancies face risks to their unborn babies' health, such as paralyzed limbs, blindness and mental retardation.

Rare Complications

• Generally, chickenpox produces a bodily rash, a slight fever and fatigue. In rare cases, chickenpox can result in life-threatening complications such as skin infections, pneumonia and swelling of the lungs, heart or brain.