Rubella.

Rubella is an acute illness caused by rubella virus and characterised by fever and rash. Although rubella is a clinically mild illness, primary rubella virus infection in early pregnancy can result in congenital rubella syndrome, which has serious medical and public health consequences. WHO estimates that approximately 100 000 congenital rubella syndrome cases occur per year. Rubella virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets and direct contact. 25-50% of people infected with rubella virus are asymptomatic. Clinical disease often results in mild, self-limited illness characterised by fever, a generalised erythematous maculopapular rash, and lymphadenopathy. Complications include arthralgia, arthritis, thrombocytopenic purpura, and encephalitis. Common presenting signs and symptoms of congenital rubella syndrome include cataracts, sensorineural hearing impairment, congenital heart disease, jaundice, purpura, hepatosplenomegaly, and microcephaly. Rubella and congenital rubella syndrome can be prevented by rubella-containing vaccines, which are commonly administered in combination with measles vaccine. Although global rubella vaccine coverage reached only 70% in 2020 global rubella eradiation remains an ambitious but achievable goal.

Temporary Fertility Decline after Large Rubella Outbreak, Japan.

Japan experienced 2 large rubella epidemics in 2004 and 2012-2014. Because of suboptimal immunization levels, the country has been experiencing a third major outbreak during 2018-2020. We conducted time series analyses to evaluate the effect of the 2012-2014 nationwide rubella epidemic on prefecture-level natality in Japan. We identified a statistically significant decline in fertility rates associated with rubella epidemic activity and increased Google searches for the term "rubella." We noted that the timing of fertility declines in 2014 occurred 9-13 months after peak rubella incidence months in 2013 in 4 prefectures with the highest rubella incidence. Public health interventions should focus on enhancing vaccination campaigns against rubella, not only to protect pregnant women from infection but also to mitigate declines in population size and birth rates.

Rubella outbreak in a Rural Kenyan District, 2014: documenting the need for routine rubella immunization in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Rubella infection has been identified as a leading cause of birth defects commonly known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS). Kenya does not currently have a rubella immunization program nor a CRS surveillance system. In 2014, a rubella outbreak was reported in a rural district in Kenya. We investigated the outbreak to determine its magnitude and describe the outbreak in time, place and person. We also analyzed the laboratory-confirmed rubella cases from 2010 to 2014 to understand the burden of the disease in the country. METHODS: The Rubella outbreak was detected using the case-based measles surveillance system. A suspected case was a person with generalized rash and fever while a confirmed case was a person who tested positive for rubella IgM. All laboratory-confirmed and epidemiologically linked cases were line listed. The measles case-based surveillance database was used to identify rubella cases from 2010 to 2014. RESULTS: A total of 125 rubella cases were line listed. Fifty four percent of cases were female. Case age ranged from 3 months to 32 years with a median of 4 years. Fifty-one percent were aged less than 5 years, while 82 % were aged less than 10 years. Six percent of the cases were women of reproductive age. All cases were treated as outpatients and there were no deaths. The number of confirmed rubella cases was 473 in 2010, 604 in 2011, 300 in 2012, 336 in 2013 and 646 in 2014. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of Kenya rubella data shows that rubella is endemic throughout the country, and many outbreaks may be underestimated or undocumented. Six percent of all the cases in this outbreak were women of reproductive age indicating that the threat of CRS is real. The country should consider initiating a CRS surveillance system to quantify the burden with the goal of introducing rubella vaccine in the future.

Effect evaluation of rubella knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) intervention on parents of 0 to 2 year old children in Chongqing, China.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of rubella elimination publicity and communication project intervention activities on rubella related knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) on parents of 0 to 2 year old children in Chongqing, and to provide basis for the formulation of rubella elimination strategies and measures. METHOD: We choose 7 townships (streets) of parents of 0 to 2 year old children who live for more than 6 months in Chongqing to investigate the status of rubella knowledge, attitude and practice. Parents' cognition and behavior related to rubella, congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) and rubella component vaccine (RCV) were analyzed and evaluated before and after intervention. RESULTS: 420 people were surveyed before and after the intervention. The awareness rate of rubella prevention knowledge of parents after intervention was significantly higher than that before intervention, with statistical significance (P < .05). After intervention, parents' support rate of "rubella antibody test before pregnancy" and "RCV vaccination for children" were 89.52% and 72.14%, respectively, which were higher than those of parents before intervention (84.05% and 27.38%, P < .05). The RCV timely vaccination rate of children after intervention was 92.78%, which was higher than that of children before intervention (83.90%, P < .05). CONCLUSION: Targeted publicity and communication methods should be adopted for urban and rural areas to create a good publicity atmosphere, popularize rubella and CRS related popular science knowledge, and improve the RCV timely vaccination rate of school-age children and high-risk population.

[Congenital rubella syndrome - case report]. / Vrozený zardenkový syndrom - kazuistika.

The goal of this case report is not only to describe a case of congenital rubella syndrome that is currently rarely seen in the Czech Republic but also to emphasize the importance of vaccination against rubella. Rubella usually occurs in susceptible children as a mild illness with rush. Its association with abortions and severe congenital disabilities was noticed in the 1940s. Since that time, efforts have been made to develop a vaccine against rubella to prevent congenital rubella syndrome.

Guidelines for the documentation and verification of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome elimination in the region of the Americas.

In the region of the Americas, goals for the elimination of endemic measles and rubella/congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by the year 2000 and 2010, respectively were established. The successful implementation of measles elimination strategies in the region of the Americas resulted in the interruption of endemic measles transmission in 2002 and tremendous progress toward rubella and CRS elimination. In October 2007, the 27th Pan American Sanitary Conference adopted Resolution CSP27.R2 urging member states to begin documenting and verifying the interruption of endemic transmission of the measles and rubella viruses in the Americas. To ensure a standardized approach for the process of documentation and verification, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) developed a regional plan of action to guide countries and their national commissions as they prepare and consolidate evidence of the interruption of endemic measles and rubella transmission. This article summarizes the plan of action including the essential criteria and components of the guidelines.

Epidemiology of Congenital Rubella Syndrome Related to the 2012-2013 Rubella Epidemic in Japan.

This study assessed the epidemiological characteristics of 45 congenital rubella syndrome cases in Japan following the 2012-2013 rubella epidemic. Rubella still poses significant health burdens and the uptake of rubella-containing vaccines among women of childbearing age should be improved.

Congenital rubella syndrome and rubella in Vellore, South India.

Rubella, a mild, vaccine-preventable disease, can manifest as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), a devastating disease of the fetus. To emphasize the inadequacy of the existing rubella vaccination programme in India, we evaluated epidemiological evidence of rubella virus activity with data available from a tertiary-care centre. The proportion of suspected CRS cases that were laboratory confirmed increased from 4% in 2000 to 11% in 2008. During the same period, 329 clinically suspected postnatal rubella cases were tested of which 65 (20%) were laboratory confirmed. Of women (n=770) of childbearing age, 12·5% were susceptible to rubella.

The history of rubella and rubella vaccination leading to elimination.

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) was discovered in the 1940s, rubella virus was isolated in the early 1960s, and rubella vaccines became available by the end of the same decade. Systematic vaccination against rubella, usually in combination with measles, has eliminated both the congenital and acquired infection from some developed countries, most recently the United States, as is confirmed by the articles in this supplement. The present article summarizes the clinical syndrome of CRS, the process by which the vaccine was developed, and the history leading up to elimination, as well as the possible extension of elimination on a wider scale.

Sí­ndrome da rubéola congênita: análise dos casos notificados no Brasil entre 1990 a 2016 / Congenital rubella syndrome: analysis of cases notified in Brazil from 1990 to 2016

Objetivo: analisar os casos de Síndrome da Rubéola Congênita notificados no Brasil durante o período de 1990 a 2016. Método: estudo transversal realizado no Brasil, cuja amostra foi de 122 casos notificados com Síndrome da Rubéola Congênita. Os dados foram disponibilizados pelo Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde. A coleta de dados foi realizada durante os meses de fevereiro e março de 2021. O tratamento dos dados se deu por análise estatística uni-variada. Resultados: observa-se prevalência no Estado de São Paulo cuja capital apresentou o maior número destas notificações. O ano em que houve prevalência do diagnóstico foi em 2008 e o mês de maior notificação foi dezembro. Todos os pacientes apresentavam idade menor que um ano, sexo feminino, com confirmação final para a doença por meio de critérios laboratoriais, e evolução para a cura. Conclusão: a idade apresentou significância no estudo. A terapêutica mostrou-se eficiente para um melhor prognóstico de cura, bem como a vacinação como medida preventiva.(AU)

Objective: to analyze the cases of Congenital Rubella Syndrome notified in Brazil from 1990 to 2016. Method: cross-sectional study conducted in Brazil, whose sample consisted of 122 cases notified with Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Data were made available by the Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde. Data collection was conducted during February and March 2021. The data were processed using univariate statistical analysis. Results: prevalence was observed in the state of São Paulo, whose capital city had the highest number of these notifications. The year in which there was prevalence of the diagnosis was 2008, and the month of greatest notification was December. All patients were less than one year old, female, with final confirmation of the disease through laboratory criteria, and progression to cure. Conclusion: Age was significant in this study. Therapy proved to be efficient for a better prognosis of cure, as well as vaccination as a preventive measure.(AU)

Objetivo: analizar los casos de Síndrome de Rubéola Congénita notificados en Brasil entre 1990 a 2016. Método: estudio transversal realizado en Brasil, cuya muestra fue 122 casos notificados con Síndrome de Rubéola Congénita. Los datos fueron facilitados por el Departamento de Informática del Sistema Único de Salud. La recogida de datos se realizó durante los meses de febrero y marzo de 2021. El tratamiento de los datos se realiza mediante un análisis estadístico univariante. Resultados: se observa una prevalencia en el Estado de São Paulo, cuya capital presenta el mayor número de notificaciones. El año y mes en que se produjo la prevalencia del diagnóstico fue 2008 y diciembre. Todos los pacientes presentaban una edad inferior a un año, sexo femenino, con confirmación final de la enfermedad mediante criterios de laboratorio y evolución para la cura. Conclusión: la edad presentó un significado en el estudio. El tratamiento es eficiente para un mejor pronóstico de curación, así como la vacunación como medida preventiva.(AU)

[Plan for the Elimination of Measles and Rubella in Spain]. / Plan para la eliminación del sarampión y la rubeola en España.

The current Plan for the elimination of measles and rubella is made of the Plan for the elimination of measles in Spain, set up in 2001, and the Surveillance protocol of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in the phase of elimination, established in 2007. The monitoring of the elimination of both diseases conducted from the European Region of World Health Organization (WHO) has been reinforced since 2010. An annual report with information on the situation of measles and rubella in The Member Estates is being requested since 2013. The Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality nominated a National Committee for Verification of Measles and Rubella Elimination in 2013, for the review and delivery of the requested information. The strategies and activities currently recommended from the WHO European Region, the verification process in Spain, and the steps to follow for the updating of the Plan for the elimination of measles and rubella in Spain are mentioned in this article.

Reported vaccine-preventable diseases--United States, 1993, and the childhood immunization initiative.

In the United States, children are routinely vaccinated against nine diseases--diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B, measles, mumps, pertussis, poliomyelitis (paralytic), rubella, and tetanus. Based on public health surveillance and epidemiologic assessment of most of these diseases, the impact of childhood vaccination on reported occurrence has been substantial: provisional surveillance data for 1993 indicate that for five of these diseases and for congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), the number of reported cases is at or near the lowest levels ever, suggesting near interruption of transmission of these diseases. This report presents provisional data for December 1993 for these 10 diseases, compares provisional data for 1993 with final data for 1992, and describes the Childhood Immunization Initiative (CII).

Rubella and syphilis: continuing causes of congenital infection in the 1990s.

Despite an effective vaccine for rubella and reliable serological methods for detecting syphilis, these pathogens remain important potential causes of congenital infections. This article describes the epidemiological factors that have contributed to the reemergence of these disorders and summarizes the clinical features, microbiological diagnosis, and strategies for treatment or prevention of congenital rubella and congenital syphilis.

Preventing congenital rubella infection in the European Region of WHO: 2010 target.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe has recently published a strategic plan and surveillance guidelines for measles and congenital rubella infection. The strategy prioritizes measles control activities but encourages the introduction of rubella vaccine when measles vaccine coverage has reached >90 %; although, many western European countries with suboptimal measles vaccine coverage are already using the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Women in these countries may have an especially high risk of having an infant with congenital rubella syndrome. WHO is seeking to improve the surveillance for rubella and congenital rubella syndrome as a means to obtain better information on the burden of these diseases and engage policy decision makers in the need to support the WHO European Region's strategies for rubella.

Intra-uterine infections.

The incidence of intrauterine infections during pregnancy is estimated to be about 14% when laboratory methods of detection are used. The commonest infections are cytomegalovirus infection, congenital rubella followed by herpes simplex. Hepatitis B virus infection occurs fairly frequently in this region of the world. Congenital syphilis, now highly treatable, is largely under control. Preventive measures are necessary since the lesions caused by some intrauterine infections are permanent and damaging. Immunisation against hepatitis and rubella is effective. Most of these infections are spread by close intimate contact. Hence, avoidance of such contact with persons with suspected infections would be wise during pregnancy.