Page 4 - Rubella
What is Rubella and what are the main causes of Rubella?
What is Rubella?
Rubella (German measles) is a highly infectious virus that is spread through droplets in the air from the coughs and sneezes of infected people. Rubella [rue-BELL-uh] is a mild but very contagious viral illness. Other names for rubella are German measles and three-day measles. Rubella is dangerous because of its ability to harm unborn babies. Infection in a pregnant woman can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or serious birth defects. People get rubella by breathing in droplets that get into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Rubella can also spread by direct contact with fluids from the nose or throat of an infected person. Rubella can be prevented by immunization. Rubella (German measles) is a relatively mild, three day illness that seldom leads to complications in children. However, when pregnant women get the disease during their first few months of pregnancy, it can become serious. The rubella virus can cause babies to be born with defects such as cataracts, deafness, heart defects, and mental retardation, or the pregnancy can end in a miscarriage. This is a generally mild disease in children, the primary medical danger of rubella is the infection of pregnant women, which may cause congenital rubella syndrome in developing babies. Some birth defects caused by rubella include: Eye defects, such as cataracts (see cataract entry), glaucoma (see glaucoma entry), and blindness Deafness Heart defects Mental retardation (see mental retardation entry)
Newborn babies are often immune to certain diseases , such as mumps, measles and rubella. This is because protective antibodies are passed to them from the mother's placenta. However, immunity usually only lasts for a few weeks, or months, although in the case of measles, it may last up to a year. A low fever and swollen glands, especially in the head (around the ears) and neck, often accompany the rash. Joint pain and sometimes joint swelling can occur, more often in women. It is quite common to get rubella and not show any symptoms (sub clinical infection). Symptoms disappear within three to four days, except for joint pain, which may linger for a week or two. Most people recover fully with no complications.
What are the main causes of Rubella?
Rubella is caused by a virus called Rub virus. The cause of rubella is a virus that's passed from person to person. It can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or it can spread by direct contact with an infected person's respiratory secretions, such as mucus. It can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her unborn child. A person with rubella is contagious from one week before the onset of the rash until about one to two weeks after the rash disappears. Some other causes of rubella: infections :
CMV: Most common intrauterine infection causing hearing loss Bacterial meningitis Congenital rubella: Cataracts, cardiovascular anomalies, retinitis, mental retardation Congenital syphilis
Toxoplasmosis Lyme disease Metabolic :
Hyperbilirubinemia (kernicterus): Consider phototherapy or exchange transfusion if serum bilirubin >20 mg/dL in newborn
Hypercholesterolemia
