Rubella

Rubella Latest News

The World Health Organization recently announced Nepal has eliminated rubella as a public health problem.

About Rubella

• It is a highly contagious viral infection best known by its distinctive red rash. 
• It’s also called German measles or three-day measles.
• Rubella isn’t the same as measles, but the two illnesses share some signs and symptoms, such as the red rash. 
• Rubella is caused by a different virus than measles, and rubella isn’t as infectious or as severe as measles.
• Rubella is caused by the Rubella virus, an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus, different from the measles virus. 

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Rubella Transmission

• The Rubella virus spreads from person to person when you cough, sneeze, or touch surfaces with the virus on them.
• It can also spread from a pregnant woman to the fetus. 
• You can be contagious with rubella without symptoms.

Rubella Symptoms

• This infection may cause mild or no symptoms in most people. 
• The main symptom of rubella is a spotty rash that starts on the face or behind the ears and spreads to the neck and body.
• The rash takes 2 to 3 weeks to appear after getting rubella.
• Rubella can cause serious problems for unborn babies whose mothers become infected during pregnancy.
• When a woman is infected with the rubella virus early in pregnancy, she has a 90% chance of passing the virus on to her fetus. 
• This can cause the death of the fetus, or it may cause Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS). Infants with CRS may excrete the virus for a year or more.
• Children with CRS can suffer hearing impairments, eye and heart defects, and other lifelong disabilities, including autism, diabetes mellitus, and thyroid dysfunction.

Rubella Prevention

• The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing rubella. 
• The vaccine provides lifelong protection against rubella.

Rubella Treatment

• There are currently no medications available to treat rubella.
• Mild symptoms can be managed with bed rest and medicines for fever.

Source: WHO