My Journal - Week 59 (03Oct10)

Spot... Spot... Where are you?  Are you gone Spot?!  

(A follow-up to my post on Friday 1st October 2010)

Today I am glad to say, all traces of the "spots" are now gone.  After much reserach, it has come down to the fact that I believe that Hunter actually did have the measles (German Measles aka Rubella) and thankfully not the "Red Measles" or "Hard Measles", which are the ones that children are vaccinated against (MMR - Measles, Mumps & Rubella) during the first year after birth.  The problem is, even if a child is vaccinated against Red Measles (aka Rubeola or Hard Measles) they are not protected from the simple German Measles and visa versa.  After Interestingly enough, I also received a call from one of my relatives today advising me that she co-incidentally had also come down with mysterious red spots in the same areas and thought to call me after reading my blog.  The only thing I was left to conclude after putting two and two together was that it had to be German Measles.  My reasoning was further substantiated (in addition to the symptoms noted on my last post) by these few extra coincidental points.
 
1.  Hunter first came into contact with my cousins Richard & Catherine (on the16th September) after they had just arrived to our home from a one week visit to British Columbia (Vancouver - where there had been a German Measles outbreak).  
2.  The incubation period is typically about 14 days.  We noticed the complete red spot outbreak on the Friday the 1st of October (exactly 15 days after the arrival of my cousins from B.C.)
3.  We had our Meet and Greet party (on the 18th of September) for my cousins Richard & Catherine where most of our family came to visit.
4.  My other cousin called me today to tell me that she has had spots for the last two days, which means if it is German Measles, her incubation exactly 14 days from the party where she met Richard & Catherine, but spent a lot of time cuddling Hunter, who at that point would have already been incubated and viral?

Well for now I am closing this investigation, so long as there doesn't seem to be any other problematic issues.  (I have contacted my Doctor just to advise him though.)  The mucousy congestion and cough have all dissapeared, along with any traces of pink, runny eyes.  The good thing is, despite it being shocking in appearence, there is no treatment regimine for German Measles itself.  The only things you can treat are the symptoms such as fever (if one exists) with Tylenol or Ibuprofen.  Otherwise, just like any other contagious virus such as a cold, it must run it's course - which is usually 2-4 days after the rash appears.  Medical literature and information indicate that it isn't necessary to see a doctor for German Measles unless a fever persists and will not go away with treatment.  The concern regarding an un-treatable fever is encephalitis (swelling in the brain), which for German Measles is very rare and unusual.  Also, the only other additional medical concern is (not for the child) but for any person who is pregnant.  Contracting German Measles while pregnant can be very dangerous for an unborn baby.

We are all happy... (much happier that it wasn't something serious) and probably could have taken a lesson from Hunter's calmness!  Always smiling - even with spots!