How long for impetigo symptoms?

[maretta]

My ds, who's 2, was playing with a girl at the weekend and I've since found out that the spots she had were impetigo.
So far ds seems OK. Does anyone know how long it would take for symptoms to appear?
Thanks

[maretta]

Anyone??

[ruty]

i don't know, sorry. google impetigo and i'm sure incubation period will come up. rather annoying the girl's parents let her play with your ds. Did they know it was impetigo? It is fairly contagious. Doesn;t mean he'll definitely get it tho, i think he would have to touch her sores.

[clary]

we have had a flare-up just this week after years without it.
It's really a case of watching out for any cuts etc on yr ds not healing and then flaring up in weeping, crusty scabby bits (mmm nice)
If you get it we found oral anitbiotics are essential (don't be palmed off with fucidin H cream alone).
I would say it may take a week or so to appear just from my experience. DS started abs on sat and my other 2 have been clear so I figure they are now OK.

[wavingordrowning]

It's quite hard to catch IMHE; dd had it (undiagnosed) for 2 weeks and neither of the children we nannyshared with caught it. You actually have to get pus into a cut: sharing towels, flannels and baths is the main problem. Agree with Clary; if a cut won't heal and goes scabby and yucky then get down to the GP. If you are virulently against antibiotics, then apple cider, betadine paint and manuka honey are reputed to be helpful but haven't tried them.

[TinyGang]

I agree that you have to be careful that existing breaks in the skin don't become infected - that is how dd first got hers via a sore bit on her foot in the summer swimming.

But my other two children caught it subsequently and it just flared up out of no-where on their scalps, so I'm not so sure that it does always require a break in the skin to get started.

It is nasty though, but responds quickly to AB's; the oral medicine works quickest it's true. I didn't realise what it was when the first child got it and was slow to take her to the doctor. With the others I was much faster off the mark and it was cleared up very swiftly. It's persistent though - I really hate it.

[WigWamBam]

It takes 2 - 3 days for the sores to appear, so I would think if she isn't showing signs of it yet she's probably OK. Although it's infectious, it can only be passed on through direct contact, and even then your dd would probably only pick it up if she had a small cut that it could infect.

[notasheep]

Daughter has had is twice,apparently she is more surceptible to it for some reason who knows? We didnt bother with antibiotics,it always looks yuck but will clear up with Fucidin,or try Aloe Vera straight from the plant!

[maretta]

Thanks for these.

DS has excema so unfortunately there are plenty of breaks in his skin but fortunately we're well stocked on fucident!

To be fair to little girls mum, her doctor had told her the infection wasn't impetigo. It was only when she got a second opinion that they got the correct diagnosis.

Hopefully the danger has passed anyway.