Amritsar health officials are yet to check spread of chicken pox in the city, despite the disease afflicting a number of residents.

Guru Nanak Dev Hospital medical superintendent Dr RPS Boparai says, “This is a viral infection and occurs once in a lifetime. Highly contagious, it requires proper isolation of the patient. Over 35 cases have already been registered at the hospital, and more are being treated by private doctors, while some go undetected.”

Interestingly, Civil Surgeon Dr Lehambar Singh says he is not aware of the chicken pox cases. “Nothing of this sort has yet come to our notice,” he says.

Experts say the virus remains dormant in extremely cold or hot weather, but is active when temperature is mild— in August, September, February and March. Forty-year-old Maninder Kaur from the Court Road area, who was surprised to learn her that skin infection and high fever was diagnosed as chicken pox, says, “I thought being an adult I was safe, as the disease only strikes children.”Dr Navneet Maini says, “Chicken pox can happen to person of any age.”