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The virus RuV is what causes the disease rubella. Most individuals infected may experience mild symptoms or remain asymptomatic. It can cause rash, mild fever, and other symptoms. It spreads quickly from person to person. Rubella can be transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy and result in major health problems like hearing and vision loss, heart issues, and other serious conditions. Getting immunized can protect against rubella.
A pink or red rash that often develops on your face, neck, and trunk before spreading down your body. German measles and three–day measles are other names for rubella. Rubella is caused by a different virus than measles, although having a similar rash.
When you cough, sneeze, or contact objects that have the virus on them, you can spread the rubella virus from one person to another. Additionally, a pregnant woman can transmit it to the fetus. Rubella can be contagious even if no symptoms are present. Around one week before the rash becomes visible and for about a week after it appears, it’s possible to transmit rubella to others even in the absence of any symptoms.
Symptoms
A rash that typically begins on your face and spreads down the rest of your body is the most noticeable sign of rubella. A rash is frequently a young child’s first symptom. The rash may start to show up a few days after other symptoms do in older children and adults.
Even if a person has no symptoms at all, up to 50% of them can still transmit the rubella virus to others.
Rubella symptoms include:
- Low grade fever
- Rash.
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Pink eye
- Joint pain
- Lymph node swelling
- Body malaise
Causes
The RuV virus is the root cause of rubella. Viruses are tiny shells that contain RNA or DNA as the genetic material. To produce more of themselves, they need cell “machinery” from humans, animals, or plants.
Risk factors
- Rubella can affect anyone, but the most severe form, congenital rubella syndrome, only affects newborns whose mothers contracted the virus while they were pregnant.
- Each year, there are roughly 26,000 cases of rubella in the world. The Middle East, Africa, and Asia are where it is most prevalent.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will perform a physical examination on you and, if you have a rash, examine it to determine whether you have rubella. They may check your blood, urine, or mucus from your throat or nose for rubella signs.
Tests done for rubella diagnosis:
- Blood tests. Your doctor will use a tiny needle to draw a little sample of blood from your arm. They’ll check for antibodies to rubella, which would indicate that you are now ill, have previously had rubella, or have received a rubella vaccination.
- Nasal or throat swabs. Your doctor will take a sample from your throat or nose using a soft–tipped stick (swab). The sample will undergo a rubella test in a lab.
- Urine tests. You’ll urinate into a clean cup. Your urine will be examined in a lab for indications of rubella.
You are currently infected with rubella if tests on your nose, throat, or pee yield positive results. If the results of your blood test for rubella are positive, you have antibodies to the disease. Antibodies are unique proteins with the ability to recognize particular invaders, such as viruses and bacteria.
If you test positive even though you’re healthy, this indicates that you’ve either had rubella before or had the immunization. If you have antibodies against rubella, your immune system is likely capable of destroying it before you become ill, making you more likely to be immune to the disease.
Treatment
Rubella cannot be treated with any one particular medication. Usually, things get better on their own. Symptoms may be managed at home using over–the–counter drugs. To stop the spread of rubella, your doctor could advise quarantining you away from other people.
Managing symptoms
The majority of the time, you may treat rubella symptoms at home with over–the–counter medications like acetaminophen (also marketed as paracetamol) or cough and cold remedies. Find out from your doctor how to treat your symptoms the most effectively. Before giving your child a rubella medicine, consult with your pediatrician.
