Picture of Rubella 1

Rubella. Also known as the German measles, rubella is caused by the rubella virus. Symptoms are generally a low-grade fever, swollen glands and an itchy rash. It mostly affects children but if a pregnant woman is exposed in her first trimester, it can cause congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). CRS can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or birth defects, including deafness and mental retardation. In an effort to prevent this, children are vaccinated against rubella with the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine.