What is the chicken pox virus?
We know what a pox is — a viral infection that produces widespread blisters that can erupt. What isn’t clear is how the “chicken” got connected with the “pox.” The Oxford English Dictionary attributes the “chicken” to the non-threatening nature of the pox. In other words, that pox was cowardly (or chicken). Other people have guessed that the “chicken” stems from the blisters’ resemblance to chickpeas or, less charitably, to the fact that an infected person looks like he or she has been pecked over by a chicken. Now that we’ve explored its name, let’s examine its life. Viruses are incredibly small particles (about one-millionth of an inch) that must attach to host cells to live and reproduce. Viruses enter our bodies through our nose or mouth or through broken skin. The varicella virus also likes to sneak in through the mucous membranes lining the eyelids and eyeballs.
