Ringworm

[Guest DeborahF]

Has anybody else come across this delightful infection? A couple of children and staff had it just before we broke up for Christmas and we sent out letters to all parents with advice on how to prevent, identify and treat it. We hoped that the two week break over Christmas would stop it spreading further but when we came back today there are LOADS of children with it and one more member of staff as well.

 

We've now arranged for someone from the local health authority to come and give a talk to the parents and staff but I wonder whether anyone has had to deal with a similar outbreak and, if so, whether they can offer any top tips?!?

[Guest]

Sorry can't really help except that maybe you could look it up on the NHS Direct site, they tend to have user friendly info that might be useful for yourselves and parents.

 

You've certainly done well by quickly arranging a visit from a person from your local LHA, hopefully this external professional advice will put parents minds at rest.

 

I did have an outbreak of 'threadworm' last year and found the info from NHS Direct useful.

 

Good luck, and I am sure a few of us will appreciatte any tips you can give us once you have had your LHA visitor.

 

Peggy

[Susan]

ringworm This seems pretty comprehensive

[Guest]

Hi

 

we had a little boy who had this last summer, on his scalp. His mum thought it was craddle cap at first, it was certainly like nothing i had seen before.

 

Any how she took him to the doctors and after a couple of misdiagnosis was told it was ring worm.

He ended up losing most of his hair, and mum was told that it may not grow back.... thankfully it did and no one else caught it at the setting.

 

He was off for quite a long time. they thought he had caught it from his grandparents farm via the cows?

 

Jo

[Guest]

I had ringworm when I was a child along with my sister and brother. We had just got 2 new kittens and apparently caught it from them. I can remember going up to St. Thomas' Hospital (lived in London at time) and this doctor shining a blue ultra violet light onto our head. It looked like we had snow in our hair

 

My brother had it on his skin near his hair line. Anyway our kittens were quaratined to a spare bedroom with treatment, while we were off school for quite some time as i recall!

 

And to top it off, I also got impetigo on the back of my leg, so had that bandaged up aswell!!

[Andreamay]

speaking as a farmers wife

I cant believe only one of my sons ever got it and it didnt spread to anyone else.

You treat it much like impertigo,washing hands,not sharing towels etc

It doesnt have to come from farmers families as pets can have it.

I would just wait til your health person comes in,or print off the info and give it out.Be very strict on your sickness policy and make sure it is adhered too!

Good luck

[catma]

I've had it from kids in school - it's quite infectious but once treated with canesten/anti fungal cream (it's a fungal infection) it's OK to go to school as far as I can recall from the health guidance, although I vaguely recall something about ringworm on the head being worse and children could be kept off for that? May be wrong there though. I certainly wasn't told to stop teaching while it went. I had it recurring in the same place so finally had to get the oral diflucan tablet from the GP but you can also get that over the counter now. South East London is a real ringworm hotspot so we had it somewhere all the time!!

 

Never had nits though!!

Cx

[Sue R]

Catma - !!!!!

 

 

Never say Never!!!!!

 

 

Sue

[Guest]

Hello!

 

I know LOTS about ringworm! This is because EVERY child and yes I mean EVERY child got it in my class last year!!!! Boys tended to get it on their heads, leaving a pleasant bald patch for weeks, others got it on their chins, cheeks etc. I was lucky enough to get it in November on my chin! Luckily enough I caught it early got some Daktarin from pharmacy (althlete's foot cream - same fungal infection) and luckily cleared up in a few days.

 

We did notice after notice, chatted to parents and sent home as soon as we caught it. One of the parents INSISTED it was eczema as she had 'had it before' and refused to take to doc, saying she was putting hydrocortizone on it and it would clear up in a few days. So she left it (we plastered it at school) and came up in a massive ring right on the middle of her chin which has been there for 2 months poor child.

 

Make sure you cover with a plaster if not being treated as VERY contagious as I have proved. Touch wood no new cases in December.

[surfer]

If it's on the body and can be covered then with treatment they can attend as far as I am aware. However if it's on the scalp its extremely contagious and requires oral medication. Cream is no good!! Often the hair loss is permanent!!

 

If it's anywhere that can't be covered I would ask them to stay off to help prevent it spreading. Having seen 2 boys with very large bald patches on their heads I wouldn't risk it!!!

[wellerkaren]

we were told by our local health team not to cover ringworm as it is a fungul infection covering it will make it damp/wet and this will make it spread more.we were also told to put talc on top of the cream as if you put to much cream on this will make it grow faster

[Guest]

Yes you shouldn't cover it while being treated - once the cream's on it shouldn't be infectious. We covered it when it wasn't being treated so as not to spread the infection - more worried about that than that particular child's infection in the hour or 2 before they got picked up.

Puzzles xxx

[Guest DeborahF]

Wow -what a response, thansk for all your advice and stories! Two of the parents whose children came in with it today were very apologetic and said they had been to the doctor during the holidays and that he had said it was definitely eczema and given them hydrocortisone, even when they told him about the ringworm outbreak in the nursery!!! Aaaaggggghhhhh!

 

So far we haven't got any children with it on their scalp as far as I am aware - my own daughter caught it from a kitten we had when she was four and she had a bald patch for about six months. Thankfully her hair grew back in the end but it did take a while!

 

I'll let you know if the LHA rep tells us anything new!

[Guest]

Hi Andreamay

 

i feel i may owe you an apology or an explanation

 

I hope you do not think i was being rude by saying they may have caught it from the cows.

 

I too live out in the 'sticks' and my children have been bought up around farm animals and horses.

I would hate you to think i was implying that you always catch it from farms...we have some very good farmer friends

 

ohhh i think i might be digging myself into a bigger hole so i will apologise if i offended you in any way

 

Jo

[Andreamay]

i dont think that at all Jo dont worry

Now mad cow disease thats a different thing

[Guest DeborahF]

Time for an update! Our LHA advisor came yesterday to give talks to the parents and the staff. Not that much that hasn't already been said really - she has given us a letter to give out to all parents asking them to inform the nursery if their child is displaying symptoms and asking their permission to contact individual GPs of children who have the infection to check that treatment is being prescribed and administered correctly. She's also distributing a flyer to all GPs in the area just making them aware of the fact that there is a local outbreak and asking them to consider ringworm when a child is brought in with a skin condition.

 

She has advised us to hot wash all soft furnishings, dressing up clothes, soft toys, etc. if at all possible and to take extra time to hoover and clean as part of our normal cleaning schedule - the fungus can sit around in carpets, on chairs, etc. for quite some time apparently.

 

She also mentioned the fact that the infection did probably start by being transferred from somebody's pet and that unless the pet itself is treated, the infection will just keep going round and round. So the letter we're putting out stresses the fact that all families need to get their pets checked out as well if they notice anything unusual on their coats. We haven't really got a clue who has which pets.....120 children in the nursery per day!....so we haven't got a lot of control over that one!

 

New cases are still coming in every day..and two more members of staff have got it now as well. It's a nightmare!

[Guest]

Wolfie, what did they say about exclusion times if any? Do children have to stay away until treatment commences?

 

Peggy

[Susan]

Hope it all settles down for you soon now you know what the lines of attack are.

[Guest Wolfie]

Nothing said about any exclusion times - as soon as cream is being applied on a regular basis it is not contagious apparently!

[Guest]

Thanks

 

Peggy