What are the possible symptoms of chickenpox in adults (not children)
and how long does it last? Should other adults stay away or is danger
of infection low? What is the treatment and are there any longer term
repercussions? (Please put as much detail as possible in your answer,
quoting at length if appropriate, rather than citing weblinks as my
internet connection is very slow).

Dear catherine,

The common possible symptoms adults show when infected with the
chickenpox, or varicella, virus, are:

- achiness, fever, fatigue, irritability and sore throat in early
stadium

- itchy, blistering rash on scalp, face and torso which can develop
into up to more than 500 blisters and may even spread into the mouth
or other internal parts of the body in main stadium

The symptomps appear 1-3 weeks after contact with an infected person.
They dissapear after appoximately 10 days, though contagiosity may
last some days longer.

Since roughly 95% of all Americans have already had chickenpox by
adulthood and a second infection is extremely rare (a history of
chickenpox is considered adequate evidence of immunity), not many
adults are concerned by the danger of contagion. However, the disease
is really very contagious in its early stages and a person never
infected before has a 70%-80% chance of getting it. Also, the older an
infected adult person is, the more dangerous gets the disease. Serious
complications and even death can be the results. Pregnant women are
paricularly vulnerable, since a varicella infection can cause
stillbirths, birth defects, or infection of the newborn during
childbirth. So keeping away also from adults is recommended because of
the risks.

The infection can be prevented by immunization with varicella vaccine;
once the contagion has happened, the diesease itself can only be
treated as described here:
"Anti-virus medicine is available for treatment, but it is used mostly
in adults and others who are at risk for developing more serious
disease. Skin infections, a common complication of chickenpox, can be
prevented by keeping blisters clean and not scratching them."
Chickenpox Facts, Association of State and Territorial Directors of
Health Promotion and Public Health Education, 2002.
http://www.astdhpphe.org/infect/chicken.html

As most commom repercussion, some people develop shingles:
"Some people who have had chickenpox may develop shingles later in
life. Shingles, or zoster, is a common illness that may strike 1 in 5
Americans. It is caused by a reactivation of the same varicella virus
that causes chickenpox. Shingles is associated with normal aging and
with anything that weakens the immune system such as certain
medications, cancers, infections or inborn disorders."
Facts About Chickenpox For Adults, National Foundation for Infectious
Diseases, 2002.
http://www.nfid.org/factsheets/varicellaadult.html

Sources:
Chickenpox Facts, Association of State and Territorial Directors of
Health Promotion and Public Health Education, 2002.
http://www.astdhpphe.org/infect/chicken.html

Facts About Chickenpox For Adults, National Foundation for Infectious
Diseases, 2002.
http://www.nfid.org/factsheets/varicellaadult.html

Office Of Communication, Centers For Disease Control ASnd Prevention,
1999:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/fact/chickenp.htm

Medicine Worldwide, Windpocken, 2002:
http://www.m-ww.de/krankheiten/infektionskrankheiten/windpocken.html

Search terms used:
chickenpox adults: ://www.google.de/search?hl=de&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&newwindow=1&q=chickenpox+adults&meta=
windpocken: ://www.google.de/search?hl=de&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&newwindow=1&q=windpocken&meta=

Hope this helps!
Regards,
Scriptor