What is Rubella? Rubella, or, as it is more commonly known, German measles, is a disease caused by the Rubella virus. Rubella is often mild and unnoticeable, it often passes without the infected indiviudla even knowing they had it. It can persist for three days to around a week. Children with Rubella often recover more quickly than adults due to their immune systems development. However, if expecting mothers are infected, it can be quite serious. If the mother is infected within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the child has a good chance of being born with congenital rubella syndrome which can result in a number of permanent, debilitating symptoms that will last the child's lifetime. In around 15-25% of cases when a mother is infected, spontaneous abortion will occur.
What are the causes of Rubella?
Rubella is a virus, so it has to be spread from person to person in most cases. This can occur if a non infected individual is coughed or sneezed on by an infected individual. It is commonly contracted by direct contact of the virus to a non infected respiratory system, meaning simply that the virus must be inhaled to contract the disease. It can also be transmitted if a pregnant mother contracts the disease, in most cases, the mother will pass Rubella on to her unborn child, sometimes resulting in the loss of the child pre-birth.
A person is contagious for around three weeks total. In the first week, the symptoms will only consist of coughing and sneezing which can spread the virus. However, in the second two weeks, a rash will appear. Shortly after the rash disappears, the virus no longer becomes contagious.
Rubella is often no lethal unless it is contracted by a pregnant or expecting mother. However, if infected after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the disease is less lethal.