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Rubella
What is Rubella?
Rubella, sometimes called "German measles" or three day measles is a generalized and usually mild acute viral disease caused by a virus. The virus multiplies in the nose, throat, and lymph nodes and can spread throughout the body.
Who gets Rubella?
People who have not had rubella or who have not been appropriately vaccinated can acquire rubella.
How is Rubella spread?
Rubella is transmitted from person-to-person by upper respiratory air borne transmission or droplets and direct contact from the respiratory secretions of infected persons.
What are the symptoms of Rubella?
Symptoms are often mild or not apparent. Thirty to fifty percent of infected individuals have no symptoms. If symptoms are present, they usually include low grade fever, malaise, body rash, swollen glands, and in women, arthritis. The rash is difficult to describe and may vary from person to person; often the rash appears as raised or flat distinct red dots.
How soon do symptoms occur?
If symptoms appear, they usually occur within 14-23 days following exposure to another infected person. The rash may last 3-4 days before disappearing.
How is Rubella diagnosed?
Rubella is one of the most difficult diseases for a physician to clinically diagnose, because it resembles other illnesses with a rash. Laboratory diagnosis to confirm a diagnosis is necessary. Those most commonly used are two serologic tests which measure antibody levels. Viral isolations of throat swabs, urine, or other body fluids may also be used to confirm a diagnosis.
What is the treatment for Rubella?
There is no treatment for this viral illness.
How long is an infected person infectious to others?
An infected person is infectious to other susceptible persons for about one week prior to the rash onset and at least 4 days after the rash onset. The real danger of rubella transmission occurs when a susceptible pregnant woman in exposed and contracts the disease with a possible adverse outcome of Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) developing in the fetus or newborn. CRS can be later manifested in these babies by deafness, eye defects, heart defects, brain abnormalities, diabetes, and other serious problems.
Should an infected person be excluded from work or school?
Persons should be excluded from work or school for 7 days after the onset of rash.
How can Rubella be prevented?
A safe and effective live virus vaccine given by injection to prevent rubella has been available since 1969.
Rubella can only be prevented by receiving at least one dose of a rubella containing vaccine, preferably the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, on or after the first birthday. This one dose is about 95 percent effective at preventing rubella. A blood test demonstrating adequate rubella antibody is also proof of immunity.
Are there any side effects to the rubella vaccine?
Rarely a rash, fever, swollen glands, or joint pains my follow a rubella vaccination. These side effects are more common in adults and affect women more than men. The vaccine should not be administered to women who are pregnant or likely to become pregnant in the next three months based on a small theoretical risk to the fetus of a vaccinated woman. Persons with certain impaired immune systems should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. Persons with severe egg allergies can receive rubella vaccine because it is not grown in eggs.
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