Eczema herpeticum – this is a term that I keep hearing of moms in forums sharing that their children have repeated eczema herpeticum during the year and also of delayed diagnosis where it’s not identified as herpeticum promptly.
If you search eczema herpeticum’s definition – you’ll see it’s often stated as a rare life-threatening complications that results from infections caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2. The virus enters the child’s body through the defective skin (common in eczema children) and attacks multiple organs, including eyes, brain, lung and liver. However, judging from moms’ feedback, it isn’t that rare, so let’s learn more about it!
Is Eczema Herpeticum Dangerous?
Before we get to that, let’s look at how one gets it. Usually the child comes into contact or catches the virus from someone with cold sores. Cold sores is not dangerous and usually it causes blisters around the mouth and is accompanied with fever or flu-like symptoms. Cold sores is most contagious when there are blisters, but can also spread when there’s no blister as the herpes simplex virus can lie dormant in one’s body. The virus can be spread by kissing, sharing utensils, lip balm or generally, coming into contact with the mucus of the infected person.
Now, here’s the DANGER part – for a child with eczema, the herpes simplex virus can enter the skin and sets off a chain of infections, including large scale bacterial skin infection. The symptoms are:
1. 5-12 days after exposure – Rashes with blisters at eczema lesions/skin patches
2. Spreading of the blisters with yellow pus, accompanied with flu, fever and body aches
3. Blisters start to get painful with bleeding, scabbing
4. Widespread at body parts, usually neck, head, upper body with swollen lymph nodes
If left to run its course, the infections may take over body organs, including the eyes. Should the eczema on your child looks different than normal, and starts to blister with pus, it’s recommended to go to the hospital for a prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnosing and Treating Eczema Herpeticum
Diagnosis can be quickly conducted by antibody staining of the pus filled vesticles or a viral culture test. Sometimes, it may be mistaken as small pox or chicken pox, but in any case, an anti-viral drug such as acyclovir or valaciclovir can be administered. For skin with bacterial infections caused by staph, antibiotics is also given to reduce the secondary infection risk.
Be prompt in going to hospital as research shows that the delay in one day increases hospital stay by 11% and one-third of the patients have staph infections, while 3.9% has blood infected and 3.8% needs to stay in intensive care.
As for why moms are sharing that their children gets repeated attacks, it’s because the virus stays in the child’s body and sometimes when there’s a trigger such as fever/flu or stress, it can set off the virus. Some children need to be on daily anti-viral drug which so far, seems to be minimal long-term negative effect as the drug attacks the virus but not the child.
Learn more about eczema and infection from National Eczema Society here.
Update on research in September 2015, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology – Certain genetic variants in a gene (iFNGR1) have been studied to increase susceptibility of atopic dermatitis patients to eczema herpeticum.
Update on May 2017 article on Eczema Herpeticum written by MedicalNewsToday.com
A note on Marcie’s experience: When she got chickenpox, she didn’t get the anti-viral drug because her skin wasn’t so bad. When she got Hand-Foot-Mouth-Disease the second time, she was given anti-bacterial antibiotics because her skin looked red and infected.
75 replies on “Eczema Herpeticum – What is it and is it dangerous?”
I Cure Different Types Of Human Infections And Diseases Using Natural Roots And Herbs. My major areas of concentration are Sexually transmitted infections (STI), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STD), pelvic inflammatory and venereal diseases (VD)” my private email address([email protected]) +2349060123572
Hi my son was recently treated for EH. He is 1 years old and I am so worried about myself and my other 2 kids getting it. What are the chances? May 13 he fell ill, may 15 he went to his doctor who said he had thrush. May 18 he went to the ER got admitted then was released for home care may 21st. He’s on the anti meds for 12 days since release. Thanks for any info
Hi! Sorry to hear that your son has eczema herpeticum, hope he’s feeling better now.
Eczema herpeticum is contagious, but the virus may not affect others in the same way as most with uncompromised immune system and normal skin get cold sores. But I’m not sure whether it is possible to spread to another family member, and then spread back again to the original family member who has eczema herpeticum.. It would be good to avoid sharing utensils, towels and not cough/ touch surfaces with mucus. Thus far from moderating eczema forums, I haven’t heard of people sharing that eczema herpeticum has spread (as eczema herpeticum) to another family member. Hope that your family stays safe, take care!
Hey I was diagnosed with eczema herpeticum when I was 11 of course at the time I didn’t think anything of it because I didn’t know herpes was a life long disease. I’m just wondering if eczema herpeticum is contagious without outbreaks like regular herpes? Remind u I was 11 I never kissed anyone or had sex and when I got the infection it wasn’t on my mouth or genitals just my stomach back and neck
Thanks for dropping by my blog 🙂 Think eczema herpeticum can spread through use of common use of towels or sharing cutlery/toothbrush with people who have cold sores, i.e. how virus normally spread. O.w. is not contagious (virus lies dormant) but avoid contact with newborn or people with suppressed immune system and children with eczema. The herpes simplex virus is different strain from that of sexually transmitted disease. Can find more info under British Association of Dermatologists site, have a good day!
http://www.bad.org.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?id=197&itemtype=document
My 17yr old son and wrestler who has suffered eczema since he was a new born recently attended a 2 wrestling camps out of state. When he arrived to the 2nd camp his eczema was more itchy than usual and then the blisters started to appear on his arms. He got diagnosed with impetigo and given antibiotics, 1 day later he came home and took him to ER and they double up on antibiotics thinking it was MRSA .
Two days later back to ER since he kept on getting worse. They did cultures for heroes and staph and started him on antivirus acyclovir 5 times a day. In 2 more days the rash was all over his arms, upper torso, neck, face and around the eyes w 101.5 fever. He was hospitalized 4 nights and 5 days and discharged. He was with IV acyclovir 3 nights and when no new rashes were erupting switched to oral acyclovir and stayed another day. We are home and he is treating the burning open hives w aquafor. Are there more suggestions for healing the many sessions close together? Keeping in mind to not activate his eczema. How long does it take to get better from the rash?
Hi LC, sorry to hear of the many sessions together.. I don’t know how to speed up the recovery though. Did the doctor mention anything about not spreading lotion from affected areas to non-affected ones? That was something I learnt after my kid had chickox – that moisturizing though good for eczema is not ideal for healing of chicken pox within certain days as it may be spreading the pus around. Don’t share towels, come into contact with people with cold sores (I joined a martial arts gym previously and was surprised how many people continue to do contact sports and use the gym towels even when they have cold sores), cleaning the skin to reduce staph bacteria may help to reduce likelihood of secondary infection. Am so sorry again to hear of the delay.. it’s common that eczema herpeticum gets misdiagnosed as impetigo as the rashes look the same, speedy recovery and you get some rest too!
Hugs,
Mei
Thanks for the article.
I’m 16 years old and recently went to China for 1 month where it is winter and I believe the air is dry. I have the symptoms of dry scaly skin behind my knees. Blisters have now formed in that area and also a increasing amount of blisters all over my leg.
I started with a cold sore on the bottom of my lip which after the whole month has still not gone away. In fact it has now grown to 3 cold sores on the bottom lip and 2 on the top lip. however I’m not sure whether it is a cold sore or eczema on the lips.
On my face I have a grown red patch which oozes yellow pus which drips over my face. It looked like impetigo to me. I went to to doctor to get this checked and for some reason he gave me Pevisone cream. I came home and used it twice a day, once at night and once in the morning. After the first night it stoped oozing and was not as red. In 3 days the whole red patch had cleared up. I was delighted! However a few days later light blistersts with yellow crusts on top started forming on the same area. I thought nothing or it as it was not that big yet. The next day the blisters could not be seen as it was fully covered a yellow layer which looked like honey. I was shocked! So I did some research and it still looked a lot like impetigo to me. I used fucidin ointment on the area and after 3 days it was not as red and not oozing however it is still there and growing starting just on my cheek to pea sized crusts on my forehead, eyebrows and temple area.
With all these symptoms I went to the doctor who gave me levocetirizine hydrochloride tablets taken once every night, qingre sanjie jiaonang 3 times a day and 6 pills each time and also a pink paste to be used on the blisters and red patches to prevent itching.
After 4 days my symptoms seem to be getting worse. Some of the blisters have now turned into red patches varying in size which oozes and is painful to touch. The blisters and spreading and after waking up yesterday, I found that it had developed all over my back. I’m am getting very worried that these blisters will turn into the red painful patches on my leg. The blisters have also formed on my arms and body.
I’m not sure weather I have impetigo or eczema or eczema herpiticum. I haven’t had a fever but the patches look like eczema herpiticum. I’m leaving China in 3 days but am worried the patches will grow all over my body. The Chinese doctors also seem to only work for profit as he did not even ask any questions on my visit and prescribed the medicines in two minutes without seeming worried.
If anyone has any ideas I would be happy to hear them.
Sorry to hear of the problem – blister could be many other skin conditions, not necessarily impetigo/eczema/herpeticum.
In China, depending on the city you’re in, you can see doctors from clinic that cater to foreigners.
Not sure about the prescription creams that you’ve been given.. any chance of getting hold of some chlorhexidine gluconate wash?
The last time when my daughter had impetigo, we used that twice a week for body wash.
Take care,
Mei
I am so sorry to hear this lots of rest and washing hands keep anti bacterial hand wipes at hand wipe everytime he touches his skin i know they are itchy from my experience so keep nails short and clean. All the best and he will get through it x
Hi I am a long suffer of eczema over 47 years comes and goes in stages, but recently had a rash look like bite marks but left holes in the skin which become itchy and sore pleas can you u tell me what it is? Its driving me crazy
Hi Kathy, so sorry to hear of your rash. I don’t know what it is, but I’m (wild) guessing that it may not be eczema if the itch and rash is distinctly different from what you’re used to. Maybe check to see if it’s scabies? Take care!
Hi my son is 6 now wgen he was a baby he suffered from eczema when he was 6 month I took him to hospital with what looked like water blisters on the bk of his head they had the yellow pus and they burst and reappeared the hospital sent mehome sayin it was just his eczema! ! My son now suffers every week with impetigo could this be anything to do with the eczema?? Im at my wits end with it and no answers
Hi, sorry to hear of the impetigo; does this post have some answers for you?
http://eczemablues.com/2014/07/eczema-news-impetigo-for-eczema-child/
Think have to take active steps to remove the staph bacteria, we use a chlorhexidine shower lotion regularly (like 2-3xs per week) to actively reduce the bacteria. My daughter also has impetigo before.. from all that scratching..
Take care, big hugs,
Mei