Definition

Rubella (pronounced roo-BELL-uh) is a highly contagious (catching) viral disease also known as German measles. It is spread through contact with discharges from the nose and throat of an infected person. The symptoms of the disease include swollen glands, joint pain, low fever, and a fine red rash. While relatively mild in most instances, Rubella can have serious complications for pregnant women and may cause a miscarriage (prematurely ended pregnancy) or severe birth defects in the infected woman's child.

Description

Rubella was once a common childhood disease. However, an effective vaccine (pronounced vak-SEEN) against the disease was invented in 1969. A vaccine is a material that causes the body's immune system to build up resistance to a particular disease. Over the next three decades the number of rubella cases dropped more than 99.6 percent. In 1996 only 229 cases of the disease were reported in the United States and public health...