Incubation and Contagious Periods

Disease	Incubation Period (days)	Contagious Period
Chickenpox	10 to 21	5 days before rash until all sores have crusts (5-7 days)
Fifth disease Erythema infectiosum	4 to 14	7 days before rash until rash begins
Hand, foot, and mouth disease	3 to 6	Onset of mouth ulcers until fever is gone
Impetigo (strep or staph	2 to 5	Onset of sores until 24 hours on antibiotic
Lice	7	Onset of itch until one treatment
Measles	8 to 12	4 days before until 5 days after rash appears
Meningitis	3 to 6	Onset of symptoms and for 1 to 2 weeks
Roseola	9 to 10	Onset of fever until rash is gone (2 days)
Rubella	14 to 21	7 days before until 5 days after rash appears
Scabies	30 to 45	Onset of rash until one treatment
Scarlet fever	3 to 6	Onset of fever or rash until 24 hours on antibiotic
Shingles  chickenpox   contagious	14-16	Onset of rash until all sores have crusts(7 days)
Warts	30-180	Staying home is unnecessary because the infection is very mild and/or minimally contagious
Bronchiolitis	4 to 6	Onset of cough until 7 days
Colds	2 to 5	Onset of runny nose until fever is gone
Cold sores (herpes)	2 to 12	Under age 6 years: Your child should stay home until the sores are dry (4 to 5 days). However, if the sores are on a part of the body that can be covered, your child does not need to stay home
Coughs (viral)	2 to 5	Onset of cough until fever is gone
Croup (viral	2 to 6	Onset of cough until fever is gone
Diphtheria	2 to 5	Onset of symptoms until  fever is gone over 24 hours
Influenza (Seasonal)	1 to 3	Onset of symptoms until  fever is gone over 24 hours
Influenza (H1N1)	4 to 6	Onset of symptoms until  fever is gone over 24 hours
Sore throat, strep	2 to 5	Onset of sore throat  until 24 hours on  antibiotic
Whooping cough	7 to 10	Onset of runny nose  until 5 days on  antibiotic
Diarrhea, bacterial	1 to 5	Your child should stay home until stools are formed
Diarrhea, Giardia	7 to 28
Diarrhea, traveler's	1.to 6
Pinworms	21 to 28	Staying home is unnecessary because the infection is very mild and/or minimally contagious
Vomiting, viral	2 to 5	Until vomiting stops
Mumps	12 to 25	5 days before swelling until swelling gone  (7 days)
Pinkeye without pus (viral)	1 to 5	Staying home is unnecessary because the infection is very mild and/or minimally contagious
Pinkeye with pus (bacterial)	2 to 7	Onset of pus until eye drops