Outbreak of chickenpox in a Scottish prison.

Abstract

An outbreak of chickenpox occurred in a Scottish prison in April 2003. Three clinical cases (one virologically confirmed) were identified, two prisoners and one staff member. All were male and aged between 30 and 45 years. A further six possible cases were identified. The source of the outbreak was likely to have been a prisoner's child who visited the prison with a chickenpox rash. The outbreak was point source in nature, and no secondary spread of infection occurred within the prison despite the crowded conditions, possibly reflecting high levels of natural immunity. The outbreak serves as a reminder of the prison environment and the vulnerability of the prison population to infectious disease, both because of the prison environment and the clinical characteristics of the prison population.