Shingles - incubation period

[MrsMcJnr]

My MIL has shingles and has for about 2 days now. She flies over to visit us in 9 days. How high are the risks of my 20 month and 4 month old children getting it and should I be worried about her infecting the 65 guests at my daughter's christening?

[Catitainahatita]

Hello there. As far as I know shingles aren't infectious. They are a virus left beind in your body by having chicken pox. They appear usually in adults for many reasons, but not - think- from contact with someone currently suffering.

But I'm no expert. My only claim to knowledge is that I have had shingles and so has my mum and DH.

[bringonthetrumpets]

Shingles are only contagious to people who haven't already had chicken pox. Yes, I would definitely be worried. Especially since she is planning on staying with you, she is shedding the virus. I don't know how long she would be shedding the virus for... but I do know that it would be contagious for your DC.

[duchesse]

I don't know the answer to your question, but when my sister had shingles, acupuncture cleared it up in a week. Apart from your well-founded concerns, your MIL is going to have a miserable time flying and being away from home with shingles- could you suggest she try some acupuncture?

[bringonthetrumpets]

shingles facts

[stuffitllllama]

With shingles the virus is present only IN THE SHINGLES so I do think your children would have to have direct physical contact with the shingles or its purulence to catch chicken pox from her.

but my daughter had shingles and this is what I was told about it with regard other children.

[MrsMcJnr]

Thank you for your help. I am getting so many different timescales for being infectious online. My Pediatrician (who I happened to be seeing today anyway) told me that MIL should have no contact or even be in the same room as either of my DCs for another 18 days (20 days from when spots appeared) she told me that it would be very dangerous if DD (4 m) got chicken pox. It is so hard to know what to do as the timescales are all so varied.

[LIZS]

She'll be fine. Agree with llama and cat ds had it and the rash went within a week. He went to school with it and just kept it covered. You don't catch it as such anyway, it is a reactivation of the c'pox virus already in your system. It can be nasty for the one who has it though and she may well be in pain in which case she may not wish to travel.