Disease Details

Rubella
Disease Type	Infectious Diseases
Description	Rubella (german measles) is a viral infection. It's usually a mild condition that gets better without treatment in 7 to 10 days.
Causes	Rubella is caused by a type of virus called a togavirus. It's spread in a similar way to a cold or flu, through droplets of moisture from the nose or throat of someone who's infected. These droplets are released into the air when someone coughs, sneezes or talks. You can become infected if you come into contact with the droplets from an infected person, although it can take two to three weeks for symptoms to develop. If you have rubella, you'll be infectious to other people from one week before symptoms develop, and for up to four days after the rash first appeared. You should stay away from school or work for four days after the rash starts to avoid infecting others, and try to avoid contact with pregnant women during this time.
Symptoms	• A red-pink skin rash made up of small spots • Swollen glands around the head and neck • Ahigh temperature (fever) • Cold-like symptoms such as a cough and runny nose • Aching and painful joints – more common in adults The symptoms of rubella usually only last a few days, but your glands may be swollen for several weeks.
Treatments	There's no specific treatment for rubella, but symptoms normally pass within 7 to 10 days. If you or your child are finding the symptoms uncomfortable, you can treat some of these at home while you wait for the infection to pass.
Prevention	The best way to prevent rubella is to be immunised with the MMR vaccine. Children are offered this vaccine as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme.