Rubella

Overview

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.