German Measles

[Festivefly]

My children have been exposed to German Measles. Is it dangerous, how long will it take before i know if they've got it? Do i have to keep them out of school, one of the teachers is pregnant.
A bit worried, is it serious or am i over reacting

[Jimjams]

Not serious to your kids, but serious in early pregnancy.
have they had MMR?

How pregnant is the teacher? You could ask her anyway as pregnat women are tested for immunity at the beginning of pregnancy.

Can't remember the incubation period 2-3 weeks I think, maybe 10 days tio 2 weeks., Infectious just before and during rash. Sometimes slight cold symptoms. DS1 just had a rash with it- it looked like heat rach. i woudn't have known he had anything if I hadn't known that he had been exposed.

[Festivefly]

Tnamks jimjams one has had it the other hasn't, the women is 5 months pregnant. Do i have to keep them in?

[JanH]

I think one of the probs with rubella is that you can't always tell when someone has it - no obvious symptoms. I think the pregnancy risk is up to 13 weeks. I should check with the school/GP on Monday.

[Jimjams]

5 months is fine. Keep them away from anyone in early pregnancy though just in case (MMR doesn't always work anyway and maternal rubella is very nasty for baby so worth being extra cautious and not relying on vax).

As jan sais you can't always tell if they have it. DS2 got colod symptoms at the right time but no rash. He was being bfed at the time and was quite young, so I'm not sure whether he had it or not.

[Festivefly]

Thanks, i still don't know what to do!

[JanH]

Have a look at this , FF.

YOur 5-months preg teacher shouldn't have a problem but it would be thoughtful to tell her.
When I was first pregnant I was tested for rubella and had apparently had it but never knew so it must have been very mild. If she is quite young she has probably had the vaccine anyway.

[Festivefly]

Thanks that is helpfull, what is Encephalitis

[Jimjams]

encephalitis is infection of the brain. You can get it after any viral infection but it is extremely rare (very rare after rubella). My friend's dd had it after chickenpox, but she has something wrong with her immune system.

[Festivefly]

Thanks so there is nothing that can effect his naughty heart

[JanH]

Oh, so sorry FF, had completely forgotten about the heart! No, I don't think you need to worry about that at all. But see if you can speak to your GP for reassurance all round.

[Festivefly]

Don't be sorry you don't have to remember
Thanks for your help, don't usually worry like this, i just have a horrible feeling

[Jimjams]

Doesn't affect the heart afaik. I think that's more of a problem with things like flu. Worth checking with the dc though as if they were worried they could probably give gamma globulin or whatever its called,

[Davros]

They might come into contact with someone in early pregnancy (or their kids) who doesn't know it or hasn't told anyone. I think you should keep them in

[GenT]

Just to be safe you need to tell the teacher in case she never had the vaccine.

I didn't have any traces of the vaccine in my body and could only have gotten it after giving birth/before leaving the hospital.

Hope it is not too bad on the kids.

[Jimjams]

HAve a search on incubation period- you don;t have to keep them in the whole time- it's only infectious just before the rash comes out if I remember correctly. Even if the teacher did get it at 5 months it shouldn't be a problem. I'd be more concerned about people who may be pregnant (and haven't told you). It's not as infectious as measles though- which is hugely infectious.