Chicken Pox

[Conan the Librarian]

About a 10 days after our two week trip to WDW, I noted that I was feeling poorly and then I discovered why. I broke out in a large amount of Chicken Pox! Going by the traditional timing of 10 to 14 days after exposers, I would have had to have been infected while there. All is well now, but, that is not the odd part.

The odd part is that I was talking to a co-worker just this afternoon and she told me that a friend had just returned from a 10 day stay at WDW and has also come down with the CPs!

Anyone else had this unwanted surprise?

Yes, I did have them as a child, but, it was a very mild case. My Doc says that this should limit my chances of getting Shingles, but, we shall see.


(This also reminds me that I need to finish up my Trip Report)

 

[JnX1]

That really scares me, I'm 25 and never had them.

 

[Conan the Librarian]

I'm 47 myself. You bet its scary!

 

[Praying Colonel]

Went to WDW last August before Labor Day. Traveled to Newport, RI a week later on business. Came down with the shingles after that.

 

[rosiep]

I hope you're feeling better and have no further complications.
Have you reported this to Disney? I'm not sure if they could really to anything to control it..but since you said a friend also came down with it..I wonder how many others may have had it too.

 

[bbangel]

There's a good reason to make sure your kids are vacanated.

 

[paintnolish]

Crazy! How'd you make it to an adult without getting them?
Btw, dh is a librarian. We call him "The World's Strongest Librarian", since, as you know, there's not much competition from a bunch of old ladies!

 

[Lynne M]

I hope you're feeling better and have no further complications.
Have you reported this to Disney? I'm not sure if they could really to anything to control it..but since you said a friend also came down with it..I wonder how many others may have had it too.

There's nothing Disney can do to control it, any more than they could stop people from catching colds while they're visiting. At any rate, it could have been picked up on the plane, at the airport, at the supermarket at home, pretty much anywhere that you're around other people.

The best preventative is to get vaccinated.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Adults get two shots and it beats the heck out of the misery that adults go through with chickenpox. My best friend got so ill when she got it in her mid-20's. I had them at age 18 and that too was pretty darn miserable.

 

[EnnEss]

Never had them and never caught them on my many trips to Disney. Ive seen kids galore with them in my youth and as an adult. My sister had them, I never got them, all my friends did. It makes me kinda worry now when I see kids with them but oh well. My dad never got chicken pox either, all my exposure to them makes me wonder if I'm somehow immune.

 

[brandylouwho]

I am 33 and never had them either, and I lived in the same house as my 2 little brothers, who had them at the same time. I was certainly exposed at that point! My Dr once told me that sometimes people do get exposed, but don't break out or have very mild (one or 2 pox)--so that is likely what happened to me and possibly some of you too...

 

[elastigirlfan]

I would strongly recommend getting vaccinated if you're an adult and never had the chicken pox. It can be really hard on adults who get them plus if you're a female and may have children or have more children in the future you don't want to be pregnant and get the chicken pox

 

[lordnamis]

My DS8 got them last Sept after getting back after 2 weeks and had a very bad case. I am 33 years old and never had them but was with him the whole time so i for sure was exposed. The doctor said most likely Ive had them in the past just didnt notice because some people can fight it very well and you may not even notice.

 

[Vjale]

There is a test you can have your doctor do to see if you have any immunity to them. My mother in law never had them until about 10 years ago and when my husband and his brother were little they had them and she took care of them. Then about ten years ago, her niece came down with them and she had been over the house for about 30 minutes and came down with a mild case of them. Who knows?

 

[michygoomy]

I always assumed I had a mild case somewhere as a kid but then my OB/GYN tested me when I was pregnant with my last kid and it turns out I have no immunity! One of my big fears going to WDW was catching it!

I have the info now and I'm going to go get the shot.

 

[GalDisney]

I had the chicken pox for the first time at age 32. Then got them again about 6 months later. Wierd thing is a freidn of mine, same age as me had them around the same time as I did. We think we caught them from his then little boy.

 

[karibritt01]

Actually, I think you should report it to WDW. There is nothing they can do, and they won't compensate, but I think they have to track that kind of illness. If too many cases were reported, they would have to notify the CDC. Also, if people do report it, they might could track the source (resort, restaurant, etc) just like they do with Hepatitus outbreaks.

 

[Sandy Fisher]

When I was growing up (back in the dark ages) everyone literally got chicken pox. They were passed around in families and in school. However, several years ago I got shingles. The doctor told me that the virus or whatever lies dormant and can resurface at any time. He said having chicken pox probably benefited me to a point but at any stage where your immunity is compromised by another condition, you can get a resurgence! Nasty stuff. Both our sons had chicken pox, but the older one was 16 when he got them from the younger one. He was miserable. I would have thought that by now, with all the vaccinations that are standard and/or required by school systems, that there'd be fewer chances of being exposed. Someone told me that there are people who never get their kids vaccinated for the childhood diseases and get away with it!!

 

[BreezysMom]

The Chicken Pox (Varicella) is a airborn disease. People are most contagious 24-48 hours before symptoms (pox) appear. So there is really nothing anyone can do at Disney or anywhere else for that matter to prevent an outbreak.

You can disinfect everything in your reach but can still get it. An airplane for example is a prime environment to spread the Varicella virus because of the closed space. On our unit (Pediatrics) we have a special room just for Varicella patients that is airtight as to not infect the entire unit.

The best thing you can do is get vaccinated for it if you are not immune.

 

[sunny_stace]

it's happened to me too! When I was 14 my mum and I went down to WDW for a week in the summer. We came home and about 12 days later I got major major chicken pox!!

It was super duper bad! I passed out from the pain and my mum had to take me to the hospital! They made me wait outside in the car so I wouldn't spread it in the waiting room! We realized that I had gotten them at WDW and now we joke it's the worst souvenier I ever brought home! I'm glad I got it bad once though as it's pretty likely now I wont get shingles!