Three Day Fever - How Contagious is it?

introduction

Three-day fever is a contagious viral disease that is transmitted by two types of herpes viruses. Viruses 6 and 7 of the human herpes viruses cause three-day fever.
The illness manifests itself as a sudden high fever which (as the name suggests) Lasts for 3 - 5 days. The fever follows -not always- a rash on the patient's upper body that spreads to the arms and legs.

The viruses are transmitted through droplet infections, which is why the virus is found in saliva and the salivary glands and multiplies in immune cells. Once you've had a three-day fever, you get lifelong immunity. As a result, you cannot get three-day fever again. However, the virus is still excreted in saliva and other body fluids.

How long is it contagious?

The carriers of the virus from 3 days before the fever broke out until Onset of the rash. This is why the transmission is often unconscious, as the carrier is not yet aware of the disease.

After infection, the incubation period the disease between 5 to 17 days, that means the disease only occurs a few days after contact with the virus.

How contagious is it for ...

...Adults?

That I almost every child infected with the virus in the first few years of life that caused the Three-day fever triggers and lives through the disease, the body forms so-called against the viruses antibody, so antibodies against the virus.

From this point on, these antibodies mediate a lifelong immunity, that means that you cannot get sick again if you have lived through the three-day fever once.

So in summary, the three-day fever is for most adults not infectious. Infection among adults is through immunity very rarely and if the infection does occur, it goes a long way harmless and expresses itself with flu-like symptoms, how sniff and Sore throat.

However, patients lose immunity Bone marrow transplants or at Immunosuppression. In these patients, the virus can cause serious infections lung or brain trigger or the clinical picture of Pfeiffer's glandular fever resemble.

…Babies?

Newborn are through the maternal antibodies protected that over the Breast milk be transmitted. However, maternal antibodies decrease over time and infants in particular become infected as they get older 6 to 12 months, as well as toddlers, with the disease.

The transmission will likely take place via the saliva of parents or other adults and children. For children it is very contagious and almost every child gains immunity from a past infection.

... pregnant women?

The three day fever is for Pregnant women just as contagious as for all other adults. By immunity it is very rarethat a pregnant woman is infected with three-day fever.

However, not every adult is immune to the virus, which is why a pregnant woman may become infected with the virus.

If this is the case, the supervisor should be contacted Gynecologist the next steps will be discussed, as all viral diseases are a potential danger can represent for the baby.