What is Rubella and what are its symptoms?
Posted on: 06/Feb/2017 5:47:28 PM
The Tamil Nadu government has announced that Measles Rubella vaccination camp will take place in the state until 28th this month.
What is Measles Rubella or German Measles?
Rubella is a 3-day measles affecting skin and lymph nodes. Rubella virus causes this. It is to be noted that this is not the same as the virus causing measles.
Rubella can easily spread when someone breaths in the fluid infected by the virus. This fluid includes drops sprayed into air from sneezing or coughing of infected individuals. By sharing food or drinks had by infected individuals, the infection spreads too. A fetus can acquire the infection straight from his or her infected mum.
In children, this is not very serious, but a mild disease. The only major threat of the infection is when pregnant women are affected as it can directly cause congenital rubella, infecting developing babies.
Over one lakh children get affected by the infection annually. Doctors and medical practitioners stress on the importance of vaccination to prevent the infection. The infection largely affects children between ages 5 and 9. With effective immunization, the total number of cases is reduced significantly.
In the recent years, most of the rubella infection cases are observed in youngsters and non-immunized adults than kids. About 10 percent of youngsters are susceptible to the infection, according to experts.
Swelling of skin, fever, nausea, pain in eyes, etc are some of the symptoms during the initial 2 to 3 weeks of the infection. Starting from face and neck, these swellings will be observed throughout the body for the first 2 to 3 weeks. The infection will be adverse in adults as compared to children. Pain will be experienced in knee joints for 3 to 10 days.
So, keep yourself and your children safe from the infection by getting vaccinated at the camps scheduled in the state. Stay healthy.
