Rubella

Rubella is an illness with flu-like symptoms followed by a rash. Common symptoms include

Low-grade fever
Headache
Runny nose
Red eyes
Muscle or joint pain

Rubella is usually mild. You may get it and not even know it. However, adults who get rubella often feel sicker than children do. The biggest danger of rubella is if a woman gets it during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. She may lose the baby, or the virus could cause problems to her unborn baby. Those problems could include cataracts, deafness or damage to the heart or brain.

A virus causes rubella. It can spread from one person to another through the air or through close contact with someone who has it. There is no treatment for rubella, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it.

Rubella on Wikipedia

'''Rubella''' (also known as '''epidemic roseola''', '''German measles''' or '''three-day measles''') is a disease caused by the '''''Rubella virus'''''. It is often mild and an attack can pass unnoticed. However, this can make the virus difficult to diagnose. The virus usually enters the body through the nose or throat. The disease can last 1-5 days. Children recover more quickly than adults. Like most viruses living along the respiratory tract, it is passed from person to person by tiny droplets in the air that is breathed out. Rubella can also be transmitted from a mother to her developing baby through the bloodstream via the placenta. The virus has an incubation period of 2 to 3 weeks during which it becomes established. The name '''German measles''' has nothing to do with Germany. It comes from the Latin ''germanus'', meaning "similar", since rubella and measles share many symptoms. This did not, however, stop its being renamed Liberty Measles in the United States during World War I as part of a campaign to remove German cultural references from the English language.

Symptoms

Symptoms of rubella include: *swollen glands or lymph nodes (may persist for up to a week) *fever (rarely rises above 38 degrees Celsius) *rash (Appears on the face and then spreads to the trunk and limbs. It appears as pink dots under the skin. It appears on the first or third day of the illness but it disappears after a few days with no staining or peeling of the skin) *flaking, dry skin *inflammation of the eyes *nasal congestion *joint pain and swelling *pain in the testicles *loss of appetite *headache *nerves become weak or numb (very rare)

Risks

Rubella can affect anyone of any age and is generally a mild disease. However, rubella can cause congenital rubella syndrome in the fetus of an infected pregnant woman.

Prevention and treatment

Symptoms are usually treated with acetaminophen until the disease has ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

Serum Institute of India Ltd. - Manufacturers triple antigen for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, and formulations for measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B. Includes overview of research, quality assurance, other products, and branches throughout the country.

Rubella (German measles) - Easy to understand information for patients on German measles, a mild viral illness caused by the rubella virus. Written by a UK general practitioner.

Pediatric OnCall - A time tested home made remedy for the treatment of rubella (German measles).

Rubella (German Measles) - Rubella infection is also known as "German measles" or "3-day measles." Includes symptoms and signs, treatment, and prevention.

CDC: Rubella - Factsheets on the disease and its vaccine.

Rubella Facts - Includes cause, symptoms, diagnosis, complications, prevention, and treatment.

MedlinePlus: Rubella - Directory of factheets, articles, and press releases.

Rubella - Factsheet that discusses rubella and pregnancy.

MayoClinic.com - Rubella - Includes cause, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, complications, treatment, and prevention.