A total of five DU students contracted adult cases of the chicken pox during the campus outbreak that came to an end Monday, Feb. 23, according to Dr. Sam Alexander, executive director of the Health and Counseling Center (HCC).

The first three cases were confirmed in early February. About a week later two more students reported symptoms to the HCC.

Alexander said that all five students are recovered or on the mend.

Chicken pox is not a great concern on college campuses because most people were exposed to the disease as children or have gotten the vaccine.

It is possible to contract chickn pox a second time, but it is uncommon. For those that do contract the disease twice, the second round is usually very mild.

However, students that think they have contracted chicken pox are encouraged to visit the HCC and then stay home to avoid infecting others.

Chicken pox is a fairly harmless infection that very rarely has serious consequences. The primary concern with a chicken pox outbreak on a university campus is the amount of school, work and other activities the victims have to miss in order to avoid infecting other people.

“We never really expected it to be any significant problem. Of course it’s significant for the individuals that get it because they have to wait until the all of the lesions, the rash, is crusted over before they can go back to class. That can be a week or more of class loss, which on the quarter system is not a good thing,” Alexander said.

Alexander also said he assumes the first chicken pox case was contracted off campus by a student who works or spent time with young children that had been exposed to the disease.

From there it was not hard for the highly contagious, airborne disease to spread.

Students that have the DU health insurance can receive the chicken pox vaccine at the HCC for free. The fee is $170 for students that do not have DU’s health insurance plan.