Swabing for measles ...

[minkeymonkeymoo]

Hi

I was wondering if anyone knows how long it takes for a child to be swabbed for measles.

My son was diagnosed with possible measles when he came out in a rash on Monday. The doctor said he would report it but we didn't hear anything or get anything through the post (I was told I would be contacted by the Health Protection Agency who would send a swab for me to do) until I called the surgery yesterday (Thursday) to find out what was going on.

A doctor from the Agency called yesterday evening and asked me for details of my son's illness. She said she would get a swab to me. However nothing arrived today and my son's rash has almost gone now. Will the swab still show measles if that is what he had if the rash has finished?

Why can the doctors not swab when they make a diagnoses and, as they don't, why does it take so long for them to send something out?

Many thanks in advance.

I highly doubt that your son had measels. Measles is a big deal, very ill etc. He could have had roseola which is a 24 hour rash and temperature.

Hi questioneverything.

My son had a 3 day temperature of 39.9, an ear infection (which he was given antibiotics for), conjunctivitus and a cold - all symptoms of measles apparently.

umm

I had measles as did all 7 of my siblings. We had a rash and we were very bored.
That was it really.

Of course measles can be very serious and have serious side effects. But it is often a very mild disease.
Having actually had it I am able to confirm that.

So it may have been measles but it may not. But if I were the OP I wouldn't panic and start expecting people in contamination suits. That would be swine flu

The swabs are quite expensive, have to be kept in a fridge and have a relatively short shelf life so they are usually sent out from the lab.
It will still detect infection even if the rash is gone.

Hi

Thanks all. I am not panicking - my lo is much better now. The only time I panicked was when his temperature was high at the start and that was before the rash.

I am just interested to see if lo did have measles - in case he ever needs to know.

How old is your son?

DS was swabbed as the doctor thought he had measles and was on the slightly disapproving side as I'd gone down the single vaccines route. The swab was taken in the surgery though and the results were through in a couple of days from memory, though it was a few years ago.

Turns out he didn't have it so most probably had roseola.

Perhaps Minkey's ds was vaccinated so less enthusiasm for swabbing.

Apparently the measles antibodies are around for a couple of weeks after the rash goes.
Mine were sent swabs about a week after the measles cleared up.

BTW they didn't bother to tell me the results. I chased them up at the doctors surgery who also didn't have them. I'm not sure who records them but it certainly doesn't seem to be for the sake of the patient or their medical carers.

I don't need the swab to confirm what my kids had though. It's pretty unmistakable I would say.

My lo is 11 months, so too young for the MMR. His rash was apparently "textbook measles" ...

ds got swabbed at the hospital, then we got a phone call about 6 weeks later confirming he'd had measles. His rash didn't last all that long - 3 days, I think, but he was really very ill.

I'm glad he's better, that's v small to have measles. I would follow it up though so that you've got a record for later.

The main purpose of swabbing is to confirm whether it was measles at all, for epidemiological reasons, to have up to date data about how much measles is going around communities.

Glad you LO is better, OP. In my neck of the woods (Scotland) it can take 1-2 weeks for the swab kits to arrive.

Thanks all.

snickersnack - my lo's rash only lasted 4 days and is back to his normal self now.

I will wait and see if it arrives in the post.