RUBELLA Rubella is a mild but very contagious viral illness. Other names for rubella are German measles and three-day measles. Rubella has a worldwide distribution with seasonal peaks during spring and summer. 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. Top picture: picture of actual Rubella virus Bottom left and right picture: picture of children with Rubella

RUBELLA cont. Rubella can can also pass through a pregnant woman's bloodstream to infect her unborn child. As 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. In most cases, symptoms appear within 16 to 18 days. Diagnosis is by blood test or virus culture. Anyone can get rubella, but unvaccinated, school-aged children are most at risk. Most cases of rubella are mild. About half of people infected with rubella virus get a rash that looks like small, fine pink spots. The rash first appears on the face and progresses from head to foot, lasting about 3 days. Children usually develop few or no other symptoms. Adults can have mild fever, headache, reddened eyes, swollen glands behind the ears, tiredness, and joint pain. An infected person can spread the disease for as many as 5 days before the rash appears to 7 days after. Rubella virus multiplies in cells of the respiratory system; then virus flows through bloodstream to target other organs. Rubella primarily affects the skin and lymph nodes.

RUBELLA cont. CAUSATIVE AGENT AND CLASSIFICATION The causative agent of rubella, is the rubella virus, which belongs to the family of Togaviridae. The Togaviridae are a family of viruses, including the following genera: Genus Rubivirus, type species: Rubella virus. Rubella virus is a single-stranded RNA virus and the only member of the genus Rubivirus within the Togavirus family. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND INTERESTING FACTS The name, Rubella, is derived from the Latin, meaning little red. Rubella is also known as German measles because the disease was first described by German physicians in the mid-eighteenth century. In 1969 a live attenuated virus vaccine was licensed. In the early 1970s, a triple vaccine containing attenuated measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) viruses was introduced. Congenital rubella syndrome is associated with malformations of multiple organ systems including the cardiac, ocular, and skeletal systems. Infants with congenital rubella syndrome who survive into adulthood may be plagued by autoimmune disorders. Ellen Umahi