Does rubella virus affect pregnancy?

Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
Updated on September 05, 2024
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A positive rubella virus infection indeed affects pregnancy, as the rubella virus can enter the fetus through the placental barrier, thereby easily leading to stillbirth, miscarriage, and fetal deformities. Therefore, if women of childbearing age are infected with the rubella virus, they should not get pregnant at this time. It is safer to wait until the condition has fully improved before attempting to conceive. In the early stages of pregnancy, if infected with the rubella virus, a decision on whether to continue the pregnancy should be made under the comprehensive assessment of an infectious disease specialist and an obstetrician/gynecologist, taking into account the actual situation for appropriate treatment and management.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
42sec home-news-image

Does rubella virus affect pregnancy?

A positive rubella virus infection indeed affects pregnancy, as the rubella virus can enter the fetus through the placental barrier, thereby easily leading to stillbirth, miscarriage, and fetal deformities. Therefore, if women of childbearing age are infected with the rubella virus, they should not get pregnant at this time. It is safer to wait until the condition has fully improved before attempting to conceive. In the early stages of pregnancy, if infected with the rubella virus, a decision on whether to continue the pregnancy should be made under the comprehensive assessment of an infectious disease specialist and an obstetrician/gynecologist, taking into account the actual situation for appropriate treatment and management.

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home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
42sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of rubella virus?

Rubella occurs after infection with the rubella virus, which is a contagious disease. The typical clinical symptoms are fever, rash, and swelling of the lymph nodes behind the ears and at the back of the head. Generally, the clinical symptoms are relatively mild, the course of the disease is relatively short, and the prognosis is mostly good. However, if a pregnant woman is infected in the early stages of pregnancy, it can potentially affect the growth and development of the fetus. Transmission can occur through ordinary droplets, respiratory transmission, or close contact between individuals. In terms of treatment, there are no specific drugs, and many patients can recover in about two weeks without treatment.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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What does rubella virus mean?

Rubella virus is the pathogen of rubella, belonging to single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses. Rubella virus can easily cause vertical transmission. If pregnant women are infected with rubella virus in the early stages of pregnancy, it may enter the fetus through the placental barrier, leading to stillbirth, miscarriage, or fetal deformities. The survival ability of rubella virus outside the human body is relatively weak. It is very sensitive to ultraviolet light, ether, and common disinfectants, which can generally kill the virus. After infection with rubella virus, the disease is self-limiting, and most cases can recover on their own in about two weeks, primarily through symptomatic treatment.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Rubella is caused by the rubella virus.

Measles is a contagious disease, mainly caused by infection with the rubella virus. Rubella can be transmitted through the air, droplets, and respiratory paths, and can also be spread by ordinary contact between people. There are large amounts of rubella virus in the saliva of patients with rubella, and when they talk, cough, or sneeze, droplets carrying the virus are produced. People with low immunity who inhale these droplets can become infected. Rubella is an acute self-limiting disease, and currently, there are no specific antiviral drugs available. Many patients can fully recover in about two weeks.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
35sec home-news-image

Does the blood test for rubella virus require fasting?

During the examination for rubella, blood can be drawn to test for rubella virus-specific antibodies IgG and IgM. It is best to conduct these tests on an empty stomach as fasting results are more accurate. Additionally, rubella virus can be isolated from some of the nasal secretions of the patient, though this test is more expensive and less commonly used. Rubella is a self-limiting disease; if IgM is found positive through rubella antibody testing, rubella can be confirmed and symptomatic treatment should be administered. There is no specific antiviral medication for the rubella virus.