Overview
Rubella is a contagious viral infection with mild symptoms associated with a rash, fever, headache and runny nose. It can be transmitted to a fetus by a mother with an active infection. Another name for rubella is German measles.
Review Date 2/2/2021
Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.