Pathogenesis. The disease is transmitted via direct or droplet contact with respiratory secretions. Rubella virus
multiplies in cells of the respiratory system
; this is followed by viremic spread to target organs. Congenital infection is transmitted transplacentally.
Where does rubella replicate in the body?
Rubella virus is transmitted via respiratory droplets. Once the oral or nasopharyngeal mucosae have been infected, viral replication occurs in
the upper respiratory tract and nasopharyngeal lymphoid tissue
. The virus then spreads contiguously to regional lymph nodes and hematogenously to distant sites.
How does rubella spread pregnancy?
Rubella spreads
when an infected person coughs or sneezes
. Also, if a woman is infected with rubella while she is pregnant, she can pass it to her developing baby and cause serious harm.
How does the rubella virus enters the body?
Rubella is caused by a virus that's passed from person to person. It
can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes
. It can also spread by direct contact with an infected person's respiratory secretions, such as mucus. It can also be passed on from pregnant women to their unborn children via the bloodstream.
How does rubeola reproduce?
The virus can replicate in a variety of tissues,
including the immune system and nervous system
. The virus enters the local lymphatics and is transported to the lymph nodes where the virus multiplies and spreads to other lymph nodes, the spleen, and then to the rest of the body.
What happens if rubella IgG is positive?
A positive rubella IgG test result is good—it means that
you are immune to rubella and cannot get the infection
. This is the most common rubella test done. Negative: Less than 7 IU/mL IgG antibodies and less than 0.9 IgM antibodies.
What happens if you are not immune to rubella while pregnant?
If you're not immune to rubella and you come down with this illness during early pregnancy, it could be devastating for your baby. You could have
a miscarriage or your baby could end up with multiple birth defects and developmental problems
.
What disease does rubella cause?
Rubella can cause a
miscarriage or serious birth defects
in a developing baby if a woman is infected while she is pregnant. The best protection against rubella is MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. Rubella is still common in other countries.
What organs does rubella affect?
Rubella is an infection that mostly affects
the skin and lymph nodes
.
How can rubella be prevented?
Rubella can be prevented
with MMR vaccine
. This protects against three diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. CDC recommends children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.
Can you catch measles twice?
Once you have had measles, your body builds up resistance (immunity) to the virus and
it's highly unlikely you'll get it again
. But it can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications in some people. These include infections of the lungs (pneumonia) and brain (encephalitis).
What does rubella do to cells?
In rubella virus-infected cells,
actin depolymerizes into filaments late in infection
, although microtubular changes are not apparent. Rubella virus infection may be associated with inhibition of the development of organ precursor cells.
What is the incubation period of rubella?
The average incubation period of rubella virus is
17 days
, with a range of 12 to 23 days. People infected with rubella are most contagious when the rash is erupting, but they can be contagious from 7 days before to 7 days after the rash appears.
Why is my rubella IGG high?
Here's how your IgG test results stack up:
A positive test is 1.0 or higher
. That means you have rubella antibodies in your blood and are immune to future infection.
What happens if you have rubella during pregnancy?
Pregnant women who contract rubella are
at risk for miscarriage or stillbirth
, and their developing babies are at risk for severe birth defects with devastating, lifelong consequences. CRS can affect almost everything in the developing baby's body.
What happens if rubella is high?
The developing baby (fetus) is most vulnerable to the virus at this time. If rubella is passed from a mother to her unborn baby, it can cause
miscarriage
, stillbirth, or congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), a group of serious birth defects that will permanently affect the child.
