After contacting the virus there is a long incubation period, usually about 14 days, although it can be as short as 10 days or as long as 20 days. A mild fever and a general feeling of discomfort are the first signs of the illness. They usually first appear on the head and trunk. Anyone who has had a child with this disease will remember the attack. In addition to the general feeling of malaise that goes with the fever, the spots can be extremely tender.
Recovery is usually fairly quick and the spots normally heal with no damage.
The risk of serious complications is small, but cannot be ignored. One child in 100,000 can die from neurological and other complications and this rate is much higher in adults. The virus may stay in the body and can reactivate years later as 'shingles,' a disease where little blisters appear in bands around the body, causing a great deal of pain. As an obstetrician I am very concerned about the effects of this disease and feel that we should do as much as we can to reduce outbreaks. Unfortunately it is not always easy to know whether the mother has been infected.