Chicken Pox/Shingles and Pregnancy

Just wondering what others think...

A colleague of mine has advised that her daughter has chicken pox. I haven't had any contact with my colleague or her daughter, since the diagnosis. I last saw my colleague about two weeks ago, but haven't seen her daughter for ages.

My colleague is worried about passing on chicken pox or shingles to me, now that she's back at work. I should clarify - my colleague is not sick, but she's worried that she might still come down with shingles and then I'll be at risk.

I had chicken pox as a child. Should I be worried about contracting it again whilst pregnant? I don't like the idea of having any sort of vaccination whilst I'm pregnant, but I'll do whatever is best for Aristotle. My concern here though is that if I am worried about getting shingles/chicken pox from my colleague just because her daughter is sick, then maybe I should be worried about all the clients I come into contact with (up to 30 a week), and then it starts bordering on paranoia...

??any thoughts???

I can answer this because I have shingles :(

You can't catch shingles.

If you have had chicken pox you are extremely unlikely to get it again. Your doctor can give you a blood test to check that you have had it and are immune.

So, again, you don't catch shingles. When you have had chicken pox the virus lives in a type of nerve cell forever. It can then come out again, usually when your immune system is compromised. It is more common in the elderly, but pregnant women are at a greater risk too. It is a bit like a cold sore (actually shingles is a type of herpes so there are definite similarities).

If you have shingles then you are able to pass on chicken pox to someone who is not immune. You cannot pass on shingles. Giving someone chicken pox when you have shingles is rare because you have to have direct contact with the fluid in the blisters. The blisters aren't all over your body like with chicken pox. They will be confined to one area of the body, usually the torso. Also you are sick before the rash appears so aren't as likely to be out and about and touching people.

Shingles is not dangerous to the pregnant woman or her baby. It is treated with anti-viral medication, however, there aren't any category A drugs. I'm taking the most suitable one which is category B1.

Chicken pox during pregnancy, on the other hand, can be very harmful for an unborn baby.

Ok. So the short answer is no, you aren't at any risk.

Oh, and I'm not sure what sort of clients you come into contact with, but all you can do is practice good hygiene.

i too had shingles when pregnant and was advised exactly the same as Holly.

I would think it would be highly unlikely that you would get chicken pox off your work mate. Firstly, you will have some immunity as you have had CP as a child. And secondly you would have to have direct contact with a chicken pox lesion, which is unlikely unless you go and visit her daughter.

So i don't think you should worry at all. :D

You ladies are legends. Thank you.

Oh, and I don't have skin-to-skin contact with my clients, but I was thinking more about them breathing on me - not because my clients are grotty, but cause you never know what illnesses people have. Anyway, no more paranoia for me :D