Chicken pox incubation period

[Sol]

My child has been in contact with chicken pox and we are planning to go away in the next few days. I am worry that he develops a rash while we are away and that we won't be allowed on the plane on the way back if he does. What's the incubation period? what are the possibilities of he getting chicken pox?

Thank you

[amyt]

The NHS says the incubation period is 7-21 days http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chickenpox/Pages/Causes.aspx

[Sol]

Thank you

[Fly]

2 weeks incubation. 90 percent chance of transmission

[Saffron]

If you have your child immunised now, the vaccine will reduce the chance of your child developing CP, and reduce the severity should he develop it. The sooner your child is immunised following exposure, the more likely you are to derive benefit of the imm. Recommended period is something like 1 to 5 days following exposure.

If you're planning to travel with a child who may be incubating CP, please think about the other people that will be exposed to your child, especially babies and pregnant women. And remember that your child will be very contageous even before spots appear.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chickenpox/Pages/Causes.aspx

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. You catch it by coming into contact with someone who is infected with the virus.

It's a very contagious infection. About 90% of people who have not previously had chickenpox will become infected when they come into contact with the virus.

How you catch the virus

The chickenpox virus is spread in the same ways as colds as flu. It's contained in the millions of tiny droplets that come out of the nose and mouth when an infected person sneezes or coughs. You can then become infected with the virus by breathing in these droplets from the air.

You can also become infected by handling a surface or object that these droplets have landed on, then transferring the virus to yourself by touching your face.

It takes seven to 21 days for the symptoms of chickenpox to show after you have come into contact with the virus. This is called the ?incubation period?.

Someone with chickenpox is most infectious from one to two days before the rash appears until all the blisters have crusted over. This usually takes five to six days from the start of the rash

[susyp]

My daughter has been exposed 3 times to chicken pox, including once with her best friend at school. She has never caught it - so you might be lucky!

susypx

[GinaG3]

My daughter was exposed 3 weeks before the end of the school term, she never caught it. You might get lucky.

[oimissus]

please don't risk passing it on - for those with reduced immunity (who won't be walking around with a sign saying I've Got Reduced Immunity on their foreheads) CP can be extremely dangerous. You might get lucky - others might not.

[jennyh]

Be aware that even if exposure was recent the signs of a rash developing are most often 2 weeks after exposure. In all cases I have known (including my daughter) the spots appeared 2 weeks after she interacted with a child who then developed spots within 24hrs of contact. She remained contagious until her spots scabbed over which took around 6 days.

[Sol]

Thank you all. This information is very helpful. If he shows symptoms of chicken pox I would not risk people's health travelling on a plane with him.

[etta166]

The main reason that chicken pox spreads so easily is that you can spread it for up to a week *before* you have any symptoms. So even if can't see any signs in you/your child, you can still be spreading the virus.

[susyp]

but she can't not go away because of exposure. Children are exposed all the time. Sure it will be fine.

Anyone who has low immunity knows the risks if they travel. And I say that at someone who did once have low immunity. I wouldn't have expected someone with a child who had been exposed to chicken pox not to get on the same plane as me!

susypx

also i guess if the chicken pox appears and you can't get back until the spots are crusted over, then your travel insurance would cover this? worth checking.

[Saffron]

No, your travel insurance would not necessarily cover that. And I agree with etta166. It's irresponsible knowingly to travel with a child that has been directly exposed to chickenpox virus. Children are not exposed all the time just because the virus is perennial. Exposure comes in acute waves. If you know that your child has been directly exposed to other infected children during an outbreak, then there is a 90% chance that your child will also develop chickenpox. If you really cannot put off your travel, at the least you should have your child immunised immediately following exposure. Please bear in mind that not all people with reduced immunity are travelling for leisure, and therefore their travel is essential despite the risks. The public could greatly reduce that risk by not spreading infections.

Or put it another way. How would people feel if a person who knew s/he had been exposed to e.g. SARS, then got on a plane/train with one of your elderly relatives who subsequently fell profoundly ill? Just food for thought. xx

[etta166]

I never said I thought that it was irresponsible. I just can't see the difference between travelling in the week before the rash appears or travelling once the rash is there. Either way, you're choosing to put other people at risk. You just need to decide if you're willing to do that.

[susyp]

The difference perhaps is that most people have had chicken pox at some point in their life, so the risk is not that high. My daughter was directly exposed twice in the summer term and was also just before Christmas. That would have been a lot of holidays missed had we wanted to fly and decided not to because of that. I think any public travel is a risk if you have low immunity and probably chicken pox is the least of your worries.

susypx

Also at each time the exposure has been within a class - her friends. On each time only two or three children have gone down with it in the class, so it requires more than just breathing the same air to catch it.

[Saffron]

etta166 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I never said I thought that it was irresponsible.

> I just can't see the difference between travelling

> in the week before the rash appears or travelling

> once the rash is there. Either way, you're

> choosing to put other people at risk. You just

> need to decide if you're willing to do that.

I wasn't implying as such. I was saying two separate things. Those two things being: (a) that I agree with what you say about spreading the rash before the spots appear. And (b) I that (separately) (personally) think it's irresponsible to travel knowing that oneself or child could carry the infection.

. . .

And as long as I'm clarifying, just let me also add that I'm categorically not saying that the OP is irresponsible. Nor am I saying the world ends because anyone makes less than responsible decsions. Like with so many things in parenting (and life), it's a sliding scale.

But if people want to make really informed decisions, then the best they can do is review the facts for themselves. xx

[Ole]

My son was ill whilst we were abroad on holiday and the airline (I think it was easyjet?) let us re-schedule the tickets at no extra cost (with a doctor's note). They should let you re-schedule your flight if the child gets ill and you have already flown out, but they told me that if it had been the outbound leg of the trip I wanted to re-schedule (i.e. we had not left home yet) then it would have to go through the insurance (if we had one). It was not chicken pox it was an upset stomach.

Years ago my sister in law developed chicken pox whilst she was on honeymoon (unlucky!) and she was told she would not be allowed to board the plane until they cleared!