5-Minute Emergency Consult
Rubella
Basics
Description
- Also known as German measles or 3-d measles
- Transmission via droplets from respiratory secretions and direct contact
- Moderately contagious:
- During rash eruption and contact with infants with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS)
- Infants with congenital rubella shed large quantities of virus for months up to 1 yr
- Infectious period: 7 d before to 7 d after appearance of rash
- Incubation period: 12–23 d (usually 17 d)
- 25–50% may be inapparent or subclinical
Etiology
- Rubella virus (family: Matonaviridae, genus: Rubivirus)
- Humans are only known reservoir
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Citation
Schaider, Jeffrey J., et al., editors. "Rubella." 5-Minute Emergency Consult, 6th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2020. Emergency Central, emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307065/1.0/Rubella_.
Rubella. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, et al, eds. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307065/1.0/Rubella_. Accessed June 12, 2026.
Rubella. (2020). In Schaider, J. J., Barkin, R. M., Hayden, S. R., Wolfe, R. E., Barkin, A. Z., Shayne, P., & Rosen, P. (Eds.), 5-Minute Emergency Consult (6th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307065/1.0/Rubella_
Rubella [Internet]. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, Wolfe RER, Barkin AZA, Shayne PP, Rosen PP, editors. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020. [cited 2026 June 12]. Available from: https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307065/1.0/Rubella_.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Rubella
ID - 307065
ED - Barkin,Adam Z,
ED - Shayne,Philip,
ED - Rosen,Peter,
ED - Schaider,Jeffrey J,
ED - Barkin,Roger M,
ED - Hayden,Stephen R,
ED - Wolfe,Richard E,
BT - 5-Minute Emergency Consult
UR - https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307065/1.0/Rubella_
PB - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ET - 6
DB - Emergency Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
