About Rubella
It is caused by
the rubella virus
(not the same virus that causes measles). Rubella spreads when people breathe in virus-infected fluid, such as the droplets sprayed into the air when a person with rubella sneezes or coughs, or share food or drink with someone who’s infected.
What type of virus is rubella virus?
Rubella virus is an enveloped, positive-stranded RNA virus classified as
a Rubivirus in
the Matonaviridae family.
What microbe causes rubella?
Pathogen. The rubella virus is a
RNA virus
and belongs to the genus Rubivirus and the family Togaviridae. It is of a single serotype divided into two clades and within these two clades there are at least seven genotypes.
Who is responsible for rubella?
Humans are the only
known natural host for rubella virus. Infection occurs most commonly in the first 6 months of the year in temperate climates. Before vaccination was common, epidemics occurred every 6-9 years in the United States, and every 3-5 years elsewhere.
Where did rubella come from?
As each of the initially recorded cases occurred in
Germany
, the disease became known as “German measles.” The name rubella originates from the Latin word that means “little red,” which was first used in 1866.
What does rubella look like?
The main symptom of rubella is a
red or pink spotty rash
. The rash takes 2 to 3 weeks to appear after getting rubella. The rash starts behind the ears and spreads to the head, neck, and body. The rash can be hard to see on dark skin, but might feel rough or bumpy.
Is rubella the same as measles?
Rubella is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It is also called German measles, but it is caused by a different virus
than measles
.
Does rubella still exist?
Rubella is no longer endemic
(constantly present) in the United States. However, rubella remains a problem in other parts of the world. It can still be brought into the U.S. by people who get infected in other countries.
What is considered rubella immune?
A positive test is 1.0 or higher. That means you have
rubella antibodies
in your blood and are immune to future infection. A negative test is 0.7 or lower. You have too few antibodies to make you immune.
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 organs does rubella affect?
Rubella is an infection that mostly affects
the skin and lymph nodes
.
How long is rubella contagious?
A person with rubella may spread the disease to others up to one week before the rash appears, and remain contagious
up to 7 days after
. However, 25% to 50% of people infected with rubella do not develop a rash or have any symptoms, but they still spread it to others.
Can rubella cause miscarriage?
Rubella is very dangerous for pregnant women and their developing babies.
If a pregnant woman is infected with rubella, she can pass the virus to her baby
, which can lead to a miscarriage or an infant born with the congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
When did rubella disease start?
Rubella virus was first isolated in
1962
by two independent groups, Paul D. Parkman and colleagues and Thomas H. Weller and Franklin A. Neva.
What type of precautions is rubella?
Droplet precautions
are indicated for mumps and rubella. Health-care associated infections with these agents, although rare, still occur.
Does rubella go away on its own?
Rubella usually goes away on its own.
But tell your healthcare provider if: Your symptoms get worse or you have new symptoms. You are pregnant and aren’t sure if you have been vaccinated against rubella.
