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.
What type of virus causes rubella?
The disease is caused by the rubella virus,
in the genus Rubivirus from the family Matonaviridae
, that is enveloped and has a single-stranded RNA genome. The virus is transmitted by the respiratory route and replicates in the nasopharynx and lymph nodes.
What virus is rubella caused by?
But the infection is dangerous for pregnant women because it can cause serious health problems in their babies. Rubella is caused by
the rubella (roo-BELL-uh) virus
(not the same virus that causes measles). It spreads when people breathe in virus-infected fluid.
Rubella is
a contagious disease caused by a virus
. Most people who get rubella usually have a mild illness, with symptoms that can include a low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
What is the scientific name for the rubella virus?
Rubella virus, scientific name
Rubivirus rubellae
, is a member of the genus Rubivirus and belongs to the family of Matonaviridae, whose members commonly have a genome of single-stranded RNA of positive polarity which is enclosed by an icosahedral capsid.
What organs does rubella affect?
Rubella is an infection that mostly affects
the skin and lymph nodes
.
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.
Who is most likely to get rubella?
Key facts. Rubella is a contagious viral infection that occurs most often in
children and young adults
. Rubella is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of birth defects. Rubella infection in pregnant women may cause fetal death or congenital defects known as congenital rubella syndrome.
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.
What country is rubella most common?
China
is the top country by rubella cases in the world. As of 2020, rubella cases in China was 2,202 that accounts for 21.60% of the world’s rubella cases.
What are the complications of rubella?
Complications include
deafness, cataracts, heart defects, brain disorders, mental retardation, bone alterations, liver and spleen damage
. Furthermore, an infant infected with rubella during pregnancy can continue to shed the virus for about a year, sometimes longer.
Can you get rubella twice?
Can someone get rubella more than once?
Second cases of rubella are believed to be very rare
. Why do people call rubella “German measles”? Rubella was first described as a separate disease in the German medical literature in 1814, and the rash is similar to measles.
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.
How does rubella infect the body?
German measles, also known as rubella, is a viral infection that causes a
red rash
on the body. Aside from the rash, people with German measles usually have a fever and swollen lymph nodes. The infection can spread from person to person through contact with droplets from an infected person’s sneeze or cough.
How did rubella start?
Throughout the 20th century, medical research discovered that
rubella was caused by a virus and could be passed on via airborne droplets
. Research about congenital rubella syndrome began extensively following several cases arising from an epidemic infection in Australia in 1940.
How does rubella occur?
Rubella is
spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected individuals
. Rubella can also be transmitted by breathing in droplets that are sprayed into the air when an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks.
