Acute, mildly contagious viral disease that causes a distinctive maculopapular rash (resembling measles or scarlet fever) and lymphadenopathy

Self-limiting with excellent prognosis, except for congenital rubella, which can have disastrous consequences

Occurs through direct contact with blood, urine, stools, or nasopharyngeal secretions of an infected person; may also occur transplacentally

Communicable from about 10 days before until 5 days after rash appears

Occurs worldwide; most commonly among children ages 5 to 9, adolescents, and young adults who haven’t been adequately immunized

Flourishes during spring, with limited outbreaks in schools

Also called German measles

Ribonucleic acid virus enters the bloodstream, usually through the respiratory route.

The incubation period lasts 18 days, with a duration of 12 to 23 days.

The rash is thought to result from virus dissemination to the skin.

Rubella virus (a togavirus) spreading by direct contact or contaminated airborne respiratory droplets

Inadequate immunization, exposure to a person with rubella infection within the previous 2 to 3 weeks, or recent
travel to an endemic area without adequate immunization

In a child, absence of prodromal symptoms

In an adolescent, headache, malaise, anorexia, coryza, sore throat, and cough preceding rash onset

Rash accompanied by low-grade fever (99° to 101° F [37.2° to 38.3° C]) possibly reaching 104° F (40° C)

Exanthematous, maculopapular, mildly pruritic rash; typically beginning on the face, and spreading rapidly, covering the trunk (may be confluent and hard to distinguish from scarlet fever rash) and limbs within hours

Rash fading in the opposite order in which it appeared by the end of day 2, and disappearing on day 3