Rubella, or German measles, is a mild disease caused by a virus. If you get it you may feel unwell, with swollen glands and a slight temperature or sore throat. You may develop a rash, usually behind the ears and on the face and neck, but equally some people have rubella and don’t develop a rash, or any of the other symptoms.
Rubella used to be common in childhood with most children catching it over the winter. It is spread by droplets in the air from the coughs and sneezes of an infected person.
According to the Department of Health’s publication “Immunisation against infectious diseases”, the incubation period (the time that someone has the virus in their system before they develop symptoms) is 14-21 days with the majority of affect individuals developing a rash 14-17 days after exposure. Individuals are then infectious from one week before the symptoms appear to four days after the rash starts.
Remember though that some people don’t have the symptoms so many never know that they are infectious and are passing the disease on to others.
Rubella can seriously affect pregnant women, damaging their unborn child - particularly the developing sight, hearing, heart and brain.
