Rubella

The name rubella is derived from latin, meaning "little red." It was initially considered to be a variant of measles or scarlet fever and was called "third disease."It was not until 1814 that it was first described as a separate disease in the German medical literature. In 1914, Hess postulated a viral etiology based on his work with monkeys. Hiro and Tosaka in 1938 confirmed the viral etiology by passing the disease to children using filtered nasal washings from acute cases.

Following a widespread epidemic of rubella infection in 1940, Norman Gregg, an Australian ophthalmologist, reported in 1941 the occurrence of congenital cataracts among 78 infants born following maternal rubella infection in early pregnancy. This was the first reported recognition of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).

Description
A respiratory disease caused by a virus

Symptoms
Rash and fever for two to three days ( mild disease in children and young adults)

Complications
Birth defects if acquired by a pregnant woman: deafness, cataracts, heart defects, mental retardation, and liver and spleen damage (at least a 20% chance of damage to the fetus if a woman is infected early in pregnancy)

Transmission
Spread by coughing and sneezing

Vaccine
Rubella vaccine (contained in MMR vaccine) can prevent this disease.

You do NOT need the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (MMR) if:

You had blood tests that show you are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella.
You are a man born before 1957.
You are a woman born before 1957 who is sure she is not having more children, has already had rubella vaccine, or has had a positive rubella test.
You already had two doses of MMR or one dose of MMR plus a second dose of measles vaccine.
You already had one dose of MMR and are not at high risk of measles exposure.

You SHOULD get the measles vaccine if you are not among the categories listed above, and

You are a college student, trade school student, or other student beyond high school.
You work in a hospital or other medical facility.
You travel internationally, or are a passenger on a cruise ship.
You are a woman of childbearing age.

Daycare.com would like to thank the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their contributors for this information in striving to make daycare and childcare a more productive and efficient service.


Home                Listings                Login                 Sign-Up                About Us          Contact Us

Daycare.com

Daycare.com