Rubella

Rubella

· Synonim of german measles.

· It is caused by rubella virus, which is a member of the Rubivirus genus of the family Togaviridae.

· Nearly one half of individuals infected with this virus are asymptomatic.

· Rubella is airborne disease. The virus is transmitted via the aerosolized particles from person to other person. The incubation is usually 14-21 days after exposure to a person with rubella.

• Clinical manifestations and severity of illness vary with age. The following signs and symptoms usually appear 1-5 days before the onset of rash:

- Eye pain on lateral and upward eye movement (a particularly troublesome complaint)

- Conjunctivitis

- Sore throat

- Headache

- General body aches

- Low-grade fever

- Chills

- Anorexia

- Nausea

- Tender lymphadenopathy (particularly posterior auricular and suboccipital lymph nodes)

· In older children, adolescents, and adults, rubella may be complicated by arthralgia, arthritis, and thrombocytopenic purpura.

· The major complication of rubella is its teratogenic effects when pregnant women contract the disease, especially in the early weeks of gestation. The virus can be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta and is capable of causing serious congenital defects, abortions, and stillbirths.

· Rubella is diagnosed by measures IgM and IgG specific in the blood. IgM will be found in patient who infected rubella virus or there is a fourfold rise IgG titer betwen the first and the second sample blood.

· If a person who has had immunized against rubella or has had the disease, the hemoglutination inhibition test will be greater than 1 : 10 – 1: 20.

· If the person don’t have imunity the result of HI test will be1:8 or less.

· Once IgG exists, it persists for a lifetime, but the special IgM antibody usually wanes over six months.

· There is no specific antivirus or treatment for rubella. This is self limiting disease.