A 6-month-old infant presented to our paediatric department with a low grade pyrexia and rash. There were vesicular lesions over the left chest and abdominal wall in the T6 dermatome distribution (figure 1). Investigations revealed a normal C reactive protein, with raised alanine transaminase of 362 units/1 and white cell count of 19.1xl0~9/l. On questioning, the mother revealed that she had developed mild varicella zoster (chicken-pox) during the 20th-24th week of her pregnancy. The baby was treated with intravenous acyclovir and flucloxacillin for 5 days with clinical improvement. The sample of fluid sent from the vesicles for PCR testing was positive for herpes zoster. Follow-up revealed complete resolution of the rash and normalised blood parameters.
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