Rubella Sign, Symptoms, and Causes
Rubella, which is also called German measles or three-day measles, is a highly contagious viral infection,
which is best known for its distinctive appearance of a red rash. While the infection can cause extremely
mild symptoms or even no symptoms in most people, it can cause serious trouble for unborn babies
whose mothers catch the infection during pregnancy.
Rubella is not the same as measles; however, these two illnesses share similar symptoms which include
the red rash. Rubella is often caused by a different virus than measles, and it is not as infectious or
severe as measles.
Rubella Signs and Symptoms
Rubella often goes unnoticed. Its incubation period is 14-22 days, which means symptoms generally start
appearing anywhere between 2-3 weeks after exposure to the virus and usually last about1-5 days. It
may include mild fever of 99, severe headache, running nose, inflamed, red eyes, aching joints in young
women, Pink rash which starts on the face and then spreads to the trunk followed by arms and legs.
Lastly, enlarged, tender lymph nodes can be developed at the base of the skull, at the back of the neck,
and even behind the ears.
Rubella Causes
The key cause of Rubella is a virus that can pass from one person to another. It can spread with the
coughs or sneezes of an infected person and can also spread by direct contact with an infected person’s
respiratory secretions, for example, mucus. Furthermore, it can very easily pass on from a pregnant
woman to her unborn child via the bloodstream through the placenta. A person who has been infected
with the Rubella virus that causes rubella is highly contagious for one to two weeks before the onset of
the rash and may continue to about one or two weeks after the rash disappears. An infected person can
spread the illness before the taker even realizes he or she has it.
When to see a doctor
It is essential to contact your doctor, if you or the child comes in any kind of exposure to rubella or if you
observe any of the signs or symptoms which are listed above. Additionally, if the woman is planning to get
pregnant, one should check the vaccination record and ensure that they have received the MMR vaccine.
However, if you’re pregnant and develop the signs of rubella, especially during the first trimester, then it
should not be taken lightly as the virus can cause death or even develop serious birth defects in the
gradually developing fetus. This is called Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) which includes 1) Cupe
Manifestations (Cataract, glaucoma). 2) Congenital heart depicts. 3) Sensorineural hearing loss. 4)
Microcephaly, mental retardation. Rubella during pregnancy is the most common cause of congenital
deafness and it’s best to be protected against this condition before getting pregnant.
Rubella Vaccine
Rubella can be prevented with the NMR vaccine. It gives protection against measles, mumps, and rubella
and is given in 2 doses 1st dose is between 12-15 months’ age of the baby, and 2nd dose is between 4-6
years of age. Women of the childbearing age group are also given rubella vaccine. Rubella status is
checked if TGT rates are high, it shows remote infection and the woman is immune to rubella virus. It
should not be given to pregnant women or women who may become pregnant within 1 month of receiving
the vaccine. The ideal situation is that all young girls around the age of puberty should be vaccinated with
the rubella vaccine.
If you are non-immune to rubella. Ask your doctor to give you rubella vaccine after the delivery so that
you are safe for the next pregnancy. Do not panic to see Rubella IGG be positive on your report. This
suggests that you are immune to Rubella and your body is going to be safe.
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