Ultraviolet rays help prevent the spread of chickenpox, meaning people in milder climates are more at risk of catching the disease, according to new research. The discovery could lead to new ways of preventing chickenpox and its more severe relative, shingles. A researcher at St George's, University of London has found that chickenpox is much less common in places with high UV ray levels, compared with those with low levels. It has long been known that UV rays can inactivate viruses. However, virologist Dr Phil Rice believes his findings indicate that UV rays could inactivate the varicella-zoster virus -- the herpes virus responsible for chickenpox and shingles -- on the skin before it transmits to another person. This explains why there is less transmission in the tropics, where chickenpox is much less frequent than in temperate countries. It would also explain why chickenpox peaks in temperate zones -- where it is seasonal -- in winter and spring, when UV rays are lowest. "One convincing factor of the hypothesis is that there was an explanation for every anomaly. For example, the peak incidence of chickenpox in India and Sri Lanka is during the hot, dry, sunny season. You would expect chickenpox to be at its lowest at this time, so at first this didn't fit the theory. However, this was explained because UV rays are actually much lower in the dry season compared with the monsoon period. In the dry season, the pollution in the atmosphere reflects the UV rays back into space before they reach us. But in monsoon season, the rains wash away the pollution, meaning the UV rays can get through." http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215094921.htm
Interesting. I had chicken pox twice -_- It increases in intensity over a few days, climaxing at a stretch of several days of hell. That was in middle school, the second instance. I was 2 or something the first and don't remember it.
