Rubella virus

  Rubella virus

Overview

Rubella is a contagious viral infection best known by its distinctive red rash. It's also called German measles or three-day measles. This infection may cause mild or no symptoms in most people. However, it can cause serious problems for unborn babies whose mothers become infected during pregnancy.

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.

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

In many countries, rubella infection is rare or even nonexistent. However, because the vaccine isn't used everywhere, the virus still causes serious problems for babies whose mothers are infected during pregnancy.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of rubella are often difficult to notice, especially in children. Signs and symptoms generally appear between two and three weeks after exposure to the virus. They usually last about 1 to 5 days and may include:

*Mild fever of 102 F (38.9 C) or lower

*Headache

*Stuffy or runny nose

*Red, itchy eyes

*Enlarged, tender lymph nodes at the base of the skull, the back of the neck and behind the ears

*A fine, pink rash that begins on the face and quickly spreads to the trunk and then the arms and legs, before disappearing in the same order

*Aching joints, especially in young women

When to see a doctor

Contact your health care provider if you think you or your child may have been exposed to rubella or if you notice the signs or symptoms that may be rubella.

If you're considering getting pregnant, check your vaccination record to make sure you've received your measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. If you're pregnant and you develop rubella, especially during the first trimester, the virus can cause death or serious birth defects in the developing fetus. Rubella during pregnancy is the most common cause of congenital deafness. It's best to be protected against rubella before pregnancy.

If you're pregnant, you'll likely undergo a routine screening for immunity to rubella. But if you've never received the vaccine and you think you might have been exposed to rubella, contact your health care provider immediately. A blood test might confirm that you're already immune.

Causes

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 infected mucus from the nose and throat. It can also be passed on from pregnant women to their unborn children through the bloodstream.

A person who has been infected with the virus that causes rubella is contagious for about one week before the onset of the rash until about one week after the rash disappears. An infected person can spread the illness before the person realizes he or she has it.

Rubella is rare in many countries because most children are vaccinated against the infection at an early age. In some parts of the world, the virus is still active. This is something to consider before going abroad, especially if you're pregnant.

Once you've had the disease, you're usually permanently immune.

Complications

Rubella is a mild infection. Some women who have had rubella experience arthritis in the fingers, wrists and knees, which generally lasts for about one month. In rare cases, rubella can cause an ear infection or inflammation of the brain.

However, if you're pregnant when you get rubella, the effect on your unborn child may be severe, and in some cases, fatal. Up to 90% of infants born to mothers who had rubella during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy develop congenital rubella syndrome. This syndrome can cause one or more problems, including:

*Growth delays

*Cataracts

*Deafness

*Problems with the development of the heart (congenital heart defects)

*Problems with the development of other organs

*Problems with mental development and learning

*The highest risk to the fetus is during the first trimester, but exposure later in pregnancy also is dangerous.

Diagnosis

The rubella rash can look like many other viral rashes. So health care providers usually confirm rubella with the help of lab tests. You may have a virus culture or a blood test, which can detect the presence of different types of rubella antibodies in your blood. These antibodies show whether you've had a recent or past infection or a rubella vaccine.

Treatment

No treatment shortens the course of rubella infection, and symptoms don't usually need to be treated because they're often mild. However, health care providers usually recommend isolation from others — especially from pregnant women — during the infectious period. Isolate from others as soon as rubella is suspected and until at least seven days after the rash disappears.

Support of an infant born with congenital rubella syndrome varies depending on the extent of the infant's problems. Children who have multiple complications may require early treatment from a team of specialists.

TYPE OF DOCTOR AND DEPARTMENT:  General Physician SPECIALIST CAN DIAGNOSE THIS DISEASE.