Contagious viral disease, generally mild, which affects children and young adults.
The rubella virus is transmitted by secretion droplets in the air, when the infected people sneeze or cough.
The most common symptoms are skin rash, fever, inflammation of the lymph nodes and conjunctivitis.
The diagnosis is usually clinical although in order to confirm it, a serological study in blood samples may be performed.
Currently there is not any specific treatment for Rubella, and the treatment administered aims at alleviating symptoms such as fever general malaise (antipyretics / pain killers).
There is a vaccine to prevent Rubella which contains the attenuated live strain of the virus. When the rubella virus infects a pregnant woman within the first stages of pregnancy, it may lead to spontaneous abortion, still birth or severe congenital defects which take the form of congenital rubella syndrome.
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