AllRefer Health - Caring for your Well Being  

Home | About | FAQs | Contact Us

AllRefer Channels :: Yellow Pages | Reference | Health  

Diseases & Conditions
Select & Go
 Diet & Nutrition
 Diseases & Conditions 
 Health News
 Injuries & Wounds
 Poisons & Overdoses
 Surgery & Procedures 
 Symptoms Guide
 Special Topics
 Tests & Exams
 Pictures & Images
 Medical Encyclopedia
Google
  Web health.allrefer.com   

You are here : AllRefer.com > Health > Diseases & Conditions > Rubella

Rubella

Provided by A.D.A.M.

Definition

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Symptoms & Signs

Prevention

Diagnosis & Tests

Treatment

Expectations or Prognosis

Complications

Calling Your Health Care Provider

Pictures & Images

Go To Main Page

Alternate Names : German Measles, Three Day Measles


Definition

Rubella is a contagious viral infection with mild symptoms associated with a rash.

Pictures & Images

Rubella on An Infant's Back
Rubella on An Infant's Back

Rubella
Rubella

Antibodies
Antibodies

 
     See all Pictures & Images
Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

The disease is caused by a virus that is spread through the air or by close contact. It can also be transmitted to a fetus by a mother with an active infection, causing severe disease in the fetus. In children and adults, rubella is usually mild and may even go unnoticed.

Children generally have few symptoms, but adults may experience fever, headache, malaise, and a runny nose before the rash appears. A person can transmit the disease from 1 week before the onset of the rash, until 1-2 weeks after the rash disappears. The disease is less contagious than rubeola (measles). Lifelong immunity to the disease follows infection, and there is a safe and effective vaccine to prevent rubella.

Rubella is most serious because of its ability to produce defects in a developing fetus if the mother is infected during early pregnancy. Congenital rubella syndrome occurs in 25% or more of infants born to women who acquired rubella during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Defects are rare if the infection occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy. One or more defects may occur in an infected fetus and include deafness, cataracts, microcephaly, mental retardation, congenital heart defects, and other problems. A miscarriage or stillbirth may occur.

Risk factors include lack of immunization and exposure to an active case of rubella.



Today's Top News Stories

Sleepy Drivers Are Dangerous Drivers - Aug 30, 2008, 09:00
On holiday weekend, experts note vision problems, fatigue as deadly as bad road conditions, drunk driving.

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 29, 2008 - Aug 29, 2008, 09:51

Study Questions Flu Shot's Mortality Protection for Elderly - Aug 29, 2008, 12:00
Canadian study found benefit to be statistically insignificant.

Some Hiroshima Survivors at Thyroid Cancer Risk - Aug 29, 2008, 14:00
Radiation may have caused chromosomal change that raises odds for malignancy, study finds

Mom's Smoking During Pregnancy Ups Preemie's SIDS Risk - Aug 29, 2008, 09:00
Fetal exposure to cigarette smoke appears to lower breathing recovery, study finds.


<

^ Top

>


Jump to another section

Definition
Rubella Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Rubella Symptoms & Signs
Rubella Prevention
Rubella Diagnosis & Tests
Rubella Treatment
Rubella Prognosis
Rubella Complications
Calling Your Health Care Provider
Pictures & Images

Topics that might be of interest to you

Diseases & Conditions

Abortion - Spontaneous
Arthritis
Cataract
Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital Rubella
Ear Infection - Acute
Encephalitis
Measles
Mental Retardation
Mumps

Tests & Exams

Serology

Other Topics

Hearing Loss
Immune Response
Microcephaly
MMR - Vaccine
Stillbirth

Review Date : 9/26/2003
Reviewed By : A.D.A.M. editorial. Previously reviewed by Adam Ratner, M.D., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (1/31/2002).

Main Page of Rubella






Featured Topics

Alzheimer's Disease

High Blood Pressure

Crohn's Disease

Impotence

Overactive Bladder


ADAM

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial reviewers. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2003 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 2007 AllRefer.com All Rights reserved.
Health Topics: A-Al Am-Az B C-Cj Ck-Cz D E F G H I J K L M N O P-Pl Pm-Pz Q R S-Sl Sm-Sz T U V W X Y Z 0-9
About Us | Help | Privacy Policy | Editorial Policy | Advertising Policy | Accessibility | Terms of Use
Contact Us | Link to Us | User Satisfaction Survey | Healthopedia.com
Page Last Updated: 30 Aug, 2008