Because of the technical problems and length of time involved in the satisfactory performance of the haemagglutination-inhibition test for detection of rubella-specific antibodies, a commercially available passive haemagglutination (PHA) kit utilising rubella antigen-sensitised human erythrocytes was tested for its suitability for use in diagnostic laboratories. The immune response to acute rub...

Rubella contracted in early pregnancy is associated with a high frequency of congenital anomalies in the infant. Viral transmission occurs in overt as well as occult maternal illness with or without a rise in maternal rubella antibody titres. It is thus both difficult and important to determine whether the fetus has become infected in utero. One approach is to isolate rubella virus from amnioti...

The paper deals with a review article of nervous system disorders caused by rubella virus (RV) infection. The diseases are categorized as acute and chronic, the former consists of acute encephalitis and peripheral neuropathy, and the latter congenital rubella syndrome and progressive rubella panencephalitis. Acute rubella encephalitis occurs one case per 6,000 rubella patients either at viremia...

We describe a rubella outbreak that occurred in Romania between September 2011 and December 2012. During this period 24,627 rubella cases, 41.1% (n=10,134) of which female, were notified based on clinical criteria, and a total of 6,182 individuals were found serologically positive for IgM-specific rubella antibody. The median age of notified cases was 18 years (range: <1-65) and the most affect...

After the 1989-1991 rubella resurgence, rubella vaccination efforts targeted children and women of childbearing age. Utilizing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data collected during 1988-1994 and 1999-2004, we assessed whether US levels of rubella seropositivity are consistent with rubella elimination and whether changes are consistent with immunization efforts. Serum samples wi...

To determine the presence of rubella immunity among pregnant women attending their first prenatal visit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional, hospital-based study (prevalence study) was undertaken. A total of 10276 women attending prenatal clinics between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2011 were included. Rubella screening tests (immunoglobulins: IgG and IgM...

The prevalence of IgG antibody specific to the rubella virus was assessed in 207 consenting pregnant women. The women were in the age range of 14 to 40 years (mean 25.8 years) and parity range of 0 to 8 (mean para 4), in their first and second trimesters of pregnancy. All attended the antenatal clinic of a tertiary health facility (University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital) in northeastern Nige...

Rubella virus infection in children or adults results in a self-limited, benign disease characterized by mild upper respiratory symptoms, an erythematous rash, and suboccipital lymphadenopathy. Complications of arthralgia and arthritis which may follow disappearance of the rash are most common in young women. Severe complications occur rarely. Infection of the fetus during the first trimester o...