Rubella is known to everyone as a childhood ailment, but you can get sick already in adulthood. In adults, the pathology is much more difficult and is often accompanied by complications. Rubella infection is especially dangerous during pregnancy. The incubation period lasts about 3 weeks. The virus manages to penetrate the body during this time and provoke a sharp deterioration in well-being.
general information
Rubella is a disease of viral etiology, which in 1881 was allocated into a separate nosological group. Its causative agent is the RNA genomic infectious agent from the togavirus family. It has teratogenic activity, that is, it can disrupt the full process of embryo development. The virus tolerates freezing well and remains aggressive at room temperature. However, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, heating, or the use of disinfectants leads to its death.
The pathological process is manifested by a small-spotted rash and catarrhal phenomena. It can be diagnosed only by specific signs. However, rubella analysis is of primary importance. Specific antibodies begin to be actively synthesized in the body 4 weeks after infection. This indicates the formation of persistent immunity, which weakens after 20 years.
Transmission ways
The source of infection is usually a sick person. An infectious agent begins to be released into the environment a week before the appearance of rashes on the skin and within 5-6 days from the onset of pustules. From an epidemiological point of view, children with a congenital form of rubella are recognized as the most dangerous. In this case, the pathogen is excreted in the environment along with feces or urine.
There are several transmission routes:
- airborne droplet;
- transplacental;
- contact household.
Women of reproductive age are especially susceptible to rubella virus. Prior to mass prophylactic vaccination, cases were reported almost universally. Currently, among all outbreaks of the disease, approximately 83% is recorded in the countries of the former Soviet Union. This trend is due to the lack of a population immunization program.
Rubella incubation period
Incubation is the period from the moment the virus enters the body until the first clinical manifestations of infection appear. In the case of rubella, it is 10-24 days. During this time period, the infectious agent manages to invade through the mucous membrane of the throat and enter the bloodstream, where its active reproduction begins.
It is during the incubation period of rubella in babies visiting kindergartens that a healthy child from a sick child becomes infected. At this time, specific signs of the disease are still missing. About a week before the onset of rashes on the skin, the patient becomes contagious to others.
Symptoms of the disease in children
In childhood, rubella is quite easy to leak. Photos of the kids prove that even with this disease they can play and do normal activities. At the initial stage of the development of the pathological process, the child may refuse to eat, be capricious and constantly wake up at night. This is due to the fact that the virus releases substances that are toxic to the central nervous system.
As progression appears, symptoms resembling a common cold disease: dry cough, hyperemia of the throat, nasal congestion, slight increase in temperature. Literally in 2-3 days the situation can change dramatically. A small-spotted rash appears throughout the childโs body without itching. Pink spots do not rise above the surface of the skin. The favorite place for their localization is the flexion surface of the legs and arms, the groin and buttocks. The clinical picture is often supplemented by an increase in the occipital lymph nodes.
With this disease, the blood picture also changes. In the general analysis, there is a persistent increase in lymphocytes against a background of a drop in white blood cells. ESR remains within the normal range. A fourfold increase in specific rubella antibodies indicates an initial or acute course.
Features of the pathological process in adults
In adulthood, the symptoms of the disease are more pronounced. As a rule, the body reacts very violently to the penetration of the virus. If a child calmly tolerates rubella "on its feet", then an adult needs bed rest for a week.
Among the main complaints that patients go to the doctor, there is a fever up to 39 degrees, joint pain and increasing weakness. The initial stage of rubella is often accompanied by an increase in the size of the spleen and liver, which is detected by palpation. Auscultation of the heart often reveals a muffling of its tones.
Photophobia and lacrimation appear. Characteristic rubella spots have a tendency to merge together. At the same time, there are no clear boundaries for papules. Usually they appear in large areas - in the back and buttocks. If untreated, the disease threatens to damage the joints of the hands and even encephalitis.
Congenital rubella syndrome
For pregnant women, this disease is very dangerous. The virus has the ability to cross the placental barrier and can cause malformations in the fetus. The situation is especially dangerous when it comes to infection in the first trimester.
First of all, the target is the central nervous system. The second place belongs to the organs of vision and hearing, and the third to the heart. A child with congenital rubella syndrome is often diagnosed with diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, and even autism. However, it is a carrier of infection and can be potentially contagious for 1-2 years.
In later pregnancy (from about 13 weeks), the likelihood of congenital malformations is much lower, but still exists. Another unpleasant consequence of the disease is stillbirth. For example, every third pregnant woman during the incubation period of rubella has a miscarriage. One lady out of 10 gives birth to a dead baby.
Diagnostic Methods
Detection of the disease in children is usually not accompanied by difficulties. It is enough for an experienced doctor to examine a small patient, to study the clinical picture and his anamnesis. After this, appropriate treatment is prescribed.
To diagnose the disease in adults, including pregnant women, a more serious examination will be required. It includes the following activities:
- Serological analysis. A diagnostic test for immunoglobulins M and G can tell a lot. For example, an increase in these titers indicates the development of a pathological process. IgM is checked after about 10-12 days from the time of infection. When the titer increases 4 times or more, rubella is diagnosed. For preventive purposes, such an analysis is prescribed to pregnant women and those who have contact with sick people. When IgG is detected immediately, antibodies to the virus are present in the body. IgG lasts for life.
- Virological research. Detects the presence of an infectious agent in the body. The analysis is informative only until the appearance of initial rashes. As the studied material, not only blood is suitable, but also nasal discharge and amniotic fluid.
- PCR method. Through the polymerase chain reaction, the rubella genome can be detected.
To exclude other pathologies that have a similar clinical picture, a comparative diagnosis is performed. The infection is differentiated with measles, scarlet fever, mononucleosis and allergies.
Therapy Features
With rubella, inpatient treatment is not required. Hospitalization is subject to patients with a severe form of the disease, in the presence of concomitant pathologies or suspected complications. Specific therapy is also not carried out.
The treatment complex includes adherence to a special diet with a predominance of protein foods in the diet. Itโs better to choose lean meats. Food should be fractional and in small portions. It is imperative to monitor the drinking regimen and drink about 2 liters of ordinary water per day.
Symptomatic therapy includes the use of antipyretics (Paracetamol, Nurofen) and antihistamines (Suprastin, Tavegil). With the development of complications, they resort to the help of antibacterial drugs. They are prescribed individually and always taking into account the condition of the patient.
Consequences for the body
Rubella rarely causes complications, especially in small patients. If the immunity is weak, after the infection, inflammatory processes occur in the knee-elbow and phalangeal joints. Prodromal symptoms may contribute to the development of pneumonia, otitis media, or sore throat.
Regardless of the stage of rubella and the timeliness of contacting a doctor, pregnant women almost always have complications. They affect not the future mother herself, but the child inside the womb. It can be mental and physical abnormalities, miscarriage or fading of pregnancy.
Ways to prevent the disease
Rubella prophylaxis means timely vaccination. This infectious disease is easy to prevent. In medical practice today, various vaccines are used, including imported ones. Inoculation is given to young children from 15 to 18 months of life. Then it is repeated in the puberty. Immunity after administration of the drug persists for 20 years.
Pregnant women vaccination is contraindicated. It is also not recommended to plan conception within three months after vaccination. At this time, an increased likelihood of infection of the fetus remains.
If you donโt know what patients with a rubella diagnosis look like, the photos in this article will help you sort out the issue. If rashes appear, you should immediately show the patient to the doctor, and after that it is necessary to isolate him until complete recovery. In the room where the infected person is located, it is necessary to constantly wet clean and ventilate the room.