3. DEFINITION
• Rubella is a contagious disease caused by viruses.
The name rubella is derived from Latin meaning
"Little red”.
• Rubella was initially considered to be a variant of
measles or scarlet's fever called the third disease.
• It was discovered not until 1814 and it was first
described as a separate disease in the German
medical literature, hence the common name was
German measles and it was classified as a toga
virus genus rubivirus.
5. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Following respiratory transmission of rubella virus,
replication of the virus occurs in nasopharynx and
regional lymph nodes
• A viremia occurs2 to 7 days after exposure with
spread of the virus throughout the body .
• Trans placental infection of the foetal occurs during
veremia and foetal damage occurs through
destruction of cells as well as mitotic arrest.
6. CLINICAL FEATURES
• Incubation period for 24 days [12 to 23 days]
• Prodome is rare in children
• Prodome of low –grade fever in adults.
• Maculopopular rash is 14 to 17 days after exposure
which is pink or red in colour.
• Lymphadenopathy occurs rash and last for several
weeks.
9. TREATMENT
1. No specific therapy
2. Symptom based treatment
3. IM administration of immunoglobulin with 72
hours of rubella exposure
10. CONGENITAL RUBELLA
SYNDROME INFECTIONS
• May affect all organs.
• May lead to foetal death and premature delivery.
• Severity of damage of foetus depends on
gestational age.
• Deafness
• Cardiac defect
• Eye defect.
• Microcephaly
• Bone alteration
11.
12. CONTROL
1. Live attenuated rubella
2. Combined measles –mumps –rubella[MMR]
vaccine was introduced in the USA in 1992.
