British scientists said that high levels of sunlight (ultraviolet rays) could help to prevent the spread of chickenpox.The University of London researchers reports in the journal, Virology, that people in milder climates are more at risk of catching the disease and hoped to lead to new ways of preventing chickenpox.

A virologist, Dr Phil Rice from the St George’s University of London, discovered that chickenpox is much less common in places with high UV ray levels.

Researchers in their new findings showed that ultra violet ray light is known to inactivate some viruses. Dr Rice, who led this study, believes that their new findings show the UV rays could inactivate the varicella zoster virus, which is responsible for chickenpox and shingles on the skin, before it spreads to another person.

The new discovery from the University of London explains that why there is less spreading in the tropics, where chickenpox is much less in countries where there is a high level of sun light. The new research also explains why chickenpox is higher in temperate zones, where it is seasonal and when ultraviolet rays are lowest.

Dr Rice examined data from 25 different studies on varicella zoster virus patterns in countries around the world in temperate and plotted these data against a number of climatic factors. This detailed data showed a clear connection and relation between UV levels and chickenpox virus prevalence.

The researcher said that the peak occurrence of chickenpox in South Asian countries, India and Sri Lanka is during the hot, dry, sunny season and chickenpox is at its lowest at this time.

He said that no one had considered UV as a cause and a factor before, but when he keenly looked at the epidemiological studies, they showed a good correlation between global latitude and the presence of the virus.

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