What is Rubella?
Rubella is a viral disease characterized by slight fever, rash and
swollen glands. Most cases are mild.
Who gets rubella?
In unvaccinated populations, rubella is primarily a childhood disease.
Where children are well immunized, adolescent and adult infections become
more evident. Rubella occurs more frequently in winter and spring.
How is rubella spread?
Rubella is spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions
of infected individuals.
What are the symptoms of rubella?
Rubella is a mild illness which may present few or no symptoms. Symptoms
may include a rash, slight fever, joint aches, headache, discomfort, runny
nose and reddened eyes. The Iymph nodes just behind the ears and at the
back of the neck may swell causing some soreness and/or pain. The rash,
which may be itchy, first appears on the face and progresses from head
to foot, lasting about three days. As many as half of all rubella cases
occur without a rash.
How soon do symptoms appear?
The incubation period for rubella is 12-23 days; in most cases, symptoms
appear within 16-18 days.
When and for how long is a person able to spread rubella?
Rubella may be transmitted from seven days before to seven days after
rash onset.
Does past infection with rubella make a person immune?
Yes. Immunity acquired after contracting the disease is usually permanent.
What is the vaccine for rubella?
Rubella vaccine is given on or after a child¹s first birthday,
and is usually given in combination with measles vaccine.
What can be the effect of not being immunized against rubella?
Rubella infection is dangerous because of its ability to damage an
unborn baby. Infection of a pregnant woman may result in a miscarriage,
stillbirth or the birth of an infant with abnormalities which may include
deafness, cataracts, heart defects, liver and spleen damage and mental
retardation. Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) occurs among at least 25
percent of infants born to women who have had rubella during the first
trimester of pregnancy.
What can be done to prevent the spread of rubella?
Maintaining high levels of rubella immunization in the community is
critical to controlling the spread. Control of the spread of rubella is
needed primarily to prevent the birth defects caused by CRS. Therefore,
women of childbearing age should have their immunity determined and receive
rubella vaccine if needed. Infected children should not attend school during
their infectious period.
This document is from,
http://www.surry.com/rubella2.html.