Rubella
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Definition: The disease rubella, sometimes called German measles, is caused by the rubella virus. It’s usually spread trough mucous droplets that can be transmitted through talking, coughing, sneezing, or sharing food and drinks. It is a mild illness and there are not any long term effects. The most damaging affects that can occur are when it is spread from pregnant woman to unborn child. When spread to the baby it can cause congenital rubella syndrome. This can cause retardation, deafness, and problems to the heart, eyes, liver, spleen, and bone marrow.
Symptoms:
  • Mild fever
  • Swollen glands
  • A skin rash that begins on the face then continues to the rest of body. The spots are pink and can last up to three days. After spots pass the skin flakes
Older chilren with Rubella get the all of the same symptoms as above along with the following additional symptoms:
  • Eye pain
  • Sore throat
  • Fever
  • Body aches
Some people don’t develop any symptoms (but they still are contagious) and if someone does have symptoms they usually don’t develop until 2 to 3 weeks after contact to the virus.
Top Five Countries Where Rubella is Most Prevelant:
  1. China 71,879 population: 1,298,847,624
    2. Map of Top 5 Countries
  2. Madagascar 62, 233 population: 17,501,871
  3. Niger 54, 190 population: 11,360,538
  4. India 44,004 population: 1,065,070,607
  5. Uganda 29,429 population: 26,404,543
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Treatment: The only way to treat rubella is to give pain relievers to reduce the fever and pain.
Vaccine:

     Rubella is prevented with the MMR, measles, mumps, rubella, vaccine. The vaccine contains all three viruses, but they live in a weakened state so they are unable to grow in the body. It is given around 12 to 15 months old and again at 4 to 6 years old. Adults should also receive the vaccination if they are 18 years or older and have not yet received it.

     Some problems occurring from the vaccine are fever, rash, swollen glands, and joint stiffness. The severe problems are very rare, but they are deafness, brain damage, and long-term seizures and comas. It costs about $0.15 for one dose.

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What's New:      Rubella is a huge problem in Kazakhstan, located west of Russia. In 2004, there were a reported 15,104 cases of rubella and each year there are ten to thirty thousand cases of rubella reported in the country.In the United States, the CDC declared Rubella eliminated as of March 2005.

     In Kazakhstan, a campaign supported by UNICEF, CDC, and WHO is vaccinating people against measles and rubella this year. The goal was to vaccinate 1.5 million people between the ages of 15 to 25 from February 21 through March 7, 2005. People who work with large groups in which rubella could easily be spread were targeted for the vaccine.
     This campaign was launched because 9,000 cases were reported in an outbreak that started in September 2004 so they hope to stop the outbreak in its tracks. 10,000 vaccination centers have been set up and 1.7 million vaccines have been purchased. They also have more then 10,000 workers helping them to distribute the vaccine. They hope to eliminate measles there by 2007.

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