Rubella

Rubella (also known as German 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 very difficult to diagnose.

The disease can last 1–5 days. Children recover more quickly than adults.

The virus usually enters the body through the nose or throat. Like most viruses living along the respiratory tract, it is passed from person to person by tiny droplets in the air that are breathed out.

Rubella can also be transmitted from a mother to her developing baby (fetus) through the placenta. This can be very dangerous to the fetus, especially if the mother gets rubella early on in her pregnancy. Rubella can cause deafness, heart problems, intellectual disability, and many other problems in developing fetuses.


Treatment for Rubella

There is no effective antiviral treatment for rubella. Treatment of symptoms includes plenty of fluids and pain relief if required. Paracetamol may be used to reduce fever and pain. Aspirin should not be given to children under 12 years of age unless specifically recommended by a doctor.

Exclude people with rubella from childcare, preschool, school and work until fully recovered or for at least 4 days after the onset of the rash.
Rubella is best prevented by the measles, mumps and
rubella (MMR) combination vaccine or the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) combination vaccine. Most people who have two doses of a rubella-containing vaccine will be protected against rubella infection.
Vaccination after exposure will not prevent infection.
All health care and childcare staff (men and women) should be tested for immunity to rubella and if not immune, should be immunised.
Anyone with suspected rubella should consult a doctor both to check that the diagnosis is correct and so that contacts (in particular, pregnant women) can be advised. A contact is any person who has been close enough to an infected person to be at risk of having acquired the infection from that person.

Pregnant women may be treated with antibodies called hyperimmune globulin that can fight off the virus. This can help reduce your symptoms. However, there’s still a chance that your baby will develop congenital rubella syndrome. Babies who are born with congenital rubella will require treatment from a team of specialists. Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about passing German measles on to your baby.