Rubella
 AGE Not significant factors |  GENDER Not significant factors |
 LIFESTYLE Not significant factors |  GENETICS Not significant factors |
Rubella is an illness, also known as German measles, that is usually mild but can severely damage a developing fetus.
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Rubella, also called German measles, usually causes little more than a mild rash. However, because it can cause serious birth defects in a fetus if the mother contracts the illness during early pregnancy, unimmunized pregnant women should avoid contact with an infected person.
The disease is caused by the highly contagious rubella virus, which is transmitted through airborne droplets from the coughs and sneezes of infected people. Rubella has become less common in the developed world because of routine childhood immunization.
What are the symptoms of rubella?
The symptoms of rubella appear from 2-3 weeks after infection and may include all or some of the following:
- Swollen lymph nodes at the back of the neck and behind the ears. In some cases, lymph nodes throughout the body are swollen, including those in the armpits and groin.
- After 2-3 days, a pink, nonitchy rash, first on the face and then the body, that usually disappears within 3 days.
Children may have mild fever, but adolescents and adults can develop high fever and headache. Rarely, several joints may become inflamed for a short time (see Reactive arthritis). A person who has rubella is infectious from 7 days before the rash appears until up to 5 days after the rash has appeared.
Are there complications?
If you contract rubella in early pregnancy, your baby is at serious risk of being born with abnormalities, such as congenital deafness, congenital heart disease, clouding of the lens in the eye (see Cataract), and the nervous system disorder cerebral palsy.
The greatest risk is during the first 4 months of pregnancy, and the earlier rubella occurs, the more likely the baby will be seriously affected.
What might be done?
Your doctor may suspect rubella from the symptoms, but the rash is not distinctive and other viral infections can produce similar symptoms. He or she may arrange for a blood test to confirm the diagnosis.
There is no specific treatment for this disease, but drinking plenty of cool fluids and taking over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol, may help to reduce fever and ease discomfort. Most affected people recover in about 10 days, and one attack gives lifelong immunity against the virus.
If you are pregnant and have rubella or have been in contact with someone with the disease, you may wish to discuss with your doctor the risk to the fetus and how best to proceed.
Can rubella be prevented?
Babies are routinely immunized against rubella as part of the standard measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization that is given at 12-15 months and then again between 3 and 5 years (see Childhood vaccinations).
Immunization or an attack of rubella provides long-term immunity. Nevertheless, women who are planning a pregnancy should be tested for antibodies against rubella and should receive advice about immunization.
BMA Complete Family Health Guide
Copyright © 2005 Dorling Kindersley
Posted 04.05.2011
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