Incubation Times for Diseases
Infectious Disease Incubation Chart
Disease
Incubation Period
Contagious Period
Skin infections
in Days
in Days
Chicken Pox
14-16 days
2 days before rash until all sores have crusts
Fifth Disease (Erythema Infectiosum)
10-14 days
7 days before rash until rash begins
Hand Foot and Mouth Disease
3-6 days
Onset of mouth ulcers until fever gone
Impetigo
2-5 days
Onset of sores until 24 hours on antibiotic
Lice
7 days
Onset of itch until one treatment
10-12 days
4 days before rash until rash gone (7 days)
Roseola
10-15 days
Onset of fever until rash gone (2 days)
Rubella (German Measles)
14-21 days
7 days before rash until rash gone (4 days)
30 days
Onset of rash until 1 treatment
Scarlet fever
3-6 days
Onset of fever or rash until 24 hours on antibiotics
Shingles-contagious for Chicken pox
14-16 days
Onset of rash until all sores are crusted (7 days)
Warts
30-180 days
minimally contagious
Respiratory infections
Bronchiolitis
4-6 days
Onset of cough until 7 days
Colds
2-5 days
Onset of runny nose until fever gone
Cold sores (herpes)
2-12 days
<6 years-stay home until sores are dry (5 days)
Coughs (viral)
2-5 days
Onset of cough until fever gone
Croup (viral)
2-6 days
Onset of cough until fever gone
Diphtheria
2-5 days
Onset of sore throat until 4 days on antibiotics
Influenza
1-2 days
Onset of cough until fever gone
Strep Sore throat
2-5 days
Onset of spre throat until 24 hours on antibiotics
Viral sore throat
2-5 days
Onset of sore throat until fever gone
Tuberculosis
14-70 days
Until 2 weeks on drugs(most childhood TB is not contagious
Whooping cough
7-10 days
Onset of runny nose until 5 days on antibiotics
Intestinal Infections
Diarrheal, bacterial
1-5 days
<6 yrs. Stay home, > 6 yrs return if BM control and no fever
Diarrhea, giardia
7-21 days
same
Diarrhea, Traveler's
1-6 days
same
Diarrhea, viral (Rotavirus)
1-3 days
same
Hepatitis A
14-50 days
2 weeks before jaundice begins until jaundice resolves
Hepatitis B
50-180 days
Pinworms
21-28 days
minimally infectious
Vomiting, viral
2-5 days
Until vomiting stops
Other Infections
Infectious mononucleosis
30-50 days
Onset of fever until fever gone (7 days)
Meningitis, bacterial
2-10 days
7 days before symptoms until 24 hours of IV antibiotics
Mumps
16-18 days
5 days before swelling until swelling gone (7 days)
Conjunctivitis, viral
1-5 days
Until redness resolves
Conjunctivitis, bacterial
2-7 days
Onset of discharge from eye until 1 day of antibiotics
Reviewed 5/1/2024