Rubella Virus - IgM

Rubella test detects the presence of antibodies produced by the body’s immune system against the rubella virus. The infection is confirmed by the laboratory test. Rubella virus causes an infection in the body in which there are fever and rash for 2-3 days. This infection can easily spread to another person (highly contagious) but can be prevented with a vaccine. 

The virus gets spread if a healthy person comes in contact with an infected person via coughing or sneezing. It starts with a red rash which appears on the face and neck and then spreads to the trunk and limbs before disappearing after a few days. Other symptoms which can be caused by the rubella virus infection apart from fever and rash include enlarged lymph nodes, red eyes, runny nose, and pain in joints. It is important to know that, the symptoms caused by this virus are very minimal especially in case of small children. In general, these symptoms do not come into notice, as the infection goes away after a few days without any treatment and do not cause any complications. 

In the case of pregnant women, if the infection occurs in the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus might get affected being most vulnerable to the virus during this time. In such cases, this virus can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). CRS comprises of serious birth defects that will cause permanent harm to the child such as intellectual and developmental disabilities, cloudiness of the lens of eyes, deafness, an abnormally small head, heart defects, and liver problems.