Rash with rubella
definition
Ringlet rubella is one of the well-known childhood diseases and is therefore preferred in kindergarten and school age.
But adults who are in close contact with children can also easily become infected. The disease is very contagious, but usually runs without complications. Rubella is a viral infection that occurs particularly frequently in spring and winter. The disease often shows no symptoms at all, but it can lead to a classic rash, which gave the disease its name. There is currently no vaccination against the virus.
What does the rash look like with rubella?
Around every second to fourth child develops a rash as the infection progresses. It usually starts with a large amount of red skin called butterfly-shaped skin (Erythema) on both cheeks and nose. Most of the time, what is known as perioral pallor is absent directly around the mouth. It looks a bit like giving someone a slap, which is why rubella is also known as "slapped cheak disease".
In the next few days, skin reddening usually occurs on the arms, legs and buttocks. They look like spots that combine and create a garland-like image. The rash on the face fades a little and finally disappears completely after several days to weeks.
Read more on the subject at: Rash in children - what is the underlying disease?
Other accompanying symptoms
In many cases, the infection with rubella is completely symptom-free. In other cases, you may experience the following symptoms.
Flu-like cold symptoms
Typical flu symptoms such as fever, feeling cold, muscle pain and headache can occur. Without the characteristic rash, it is then often interpreted as a flu-like infection.
Find out more about the topic here: These symptoms can be recognized by rubella
itching
While many other childhood diseases are associated with extremely itchy rashes, the itching of rubella is usually minor. Although some children complain of itchy and sometimes tight skin as part of the disease, the rash is less of a nuisance for the majority of sufferers.
However, after the infection has subsided, the remaining dry skin can lead to increased itching. On the other hand, increased care of the flaky skin areas helps.
diagnosis
Is the one for the rubella typical rash before, the diagnosis is based on the symptoms. This involves carefully examining the rash to rule out other diseases with similar rashes, such as measles, rubella, scarlet fever, chickenpox, and three-day fever.
Is the Diagnosis inconclusive, you can Detect antibodies to the virus in the blood. However, this only works if the patient has a functioning immune system. People with immunodeficiency or who have had an organ transplant usually have no antibodies that can be detected. To diagnose an infection by the mother in a newborn baby, amniotic fluid or umbilical cord blood is taken and the antibodies are detected here.
causes
The rubella is caused by the parvovirus B19. This is a DNA virus that usually reproduces in the precursors of human blood cells. The virus is transmitted by droplet infection, which means that direct contact via the hands is sufficient to pass the virus on.
The virus is only disease-causing for humans, animals are not affected here. 60 to 70% of preschool children have been in contact with the virus. There are between 4 days and 2 weeks between being infected and the onset of symptoms, and especially during this time you are very contagious, which is why the disease often spreads unnoticed.
You might also be interested in: Rubella in adults
therapy
There is no specific therapy for rubella rubella. If necessary, treatment is symptomatic. For example, painkillers can be given to relieve headache and muscle pain, as well as antipyretic drugs such as paracetamol. Leg wraps can also help relieve symptoms.
The rash itself is usually not treated, but since the skin becomes flaky and rough, you can improve it with nourishing, greasy creams or oil baths. Cold compresses and cooling ointments can also help with itching. In patients who have a weakened immune system, the viral infection is fought with immunoglobulins, as the immune system cannot defend itself against the virus.
Complications rarely occur with rubella. Joint inflammation can occur in girls and women. However, these usually do not need to be treated, as they usually subside by themselves. Symptomatic therapy is also recommended for severe pain.
In general, it is important to stay away from pregnant women, as they can transmit the virus to the child if they are not immune, which can lead to threatening harm and even death of the child.
Find out more about the topic here: Medicines for children - what medicines should I have at home?
Important information for a quick recovery
Rubella is not treated causally, but you have to wait until the virus has been successfully fought by the immune system, but it can develop
- Stress,
- Heat,
- increased exposure to sunlight
- and physical stress
negatively affect the duration and intensity of the rash. Even a hot bath can encourage the rash to recur.
It is therefore particularly important to take care of the affected child while the rash persists. It is also essential to use suitable sun and heat protection, sunscreen should definitely be applied.
Often very dry and flaky skin remains even after the rash has completely subsided. To prevent this, it is advisable to regularly apply moisturizing creams and lotions to the skin. Some paediatricians also recommend oil baths, which give the skin back its natural protective barrier and thus prevent flaking.
Many parents also report recurring rashes after a rubella infection. This phenomenon is common and mostly harmless. Since the factors listed above favor a subsequent flare-up of the virus, it is important to take it easy for a few weeks after the acute symptoms have subsided and to refrain from excessive physical activity.
Duration
It takes between four days and three weeks from the day of infection to the onset of symptoms.Initially, it takes about one to two weeks for the rubella infection to become visible in the form of the rash.
You yourself are contagious from about the 5th day after the infection until the 10th day, i.e. usually in the phase in which you yourself have no symptoms and therefore do not know that you can infect others. Therefore, the virus spreads very quickly during this time.
The rash initially only appears on the face. It spreads to the rest of the body within a few days. The skin changes then slowly fade. It can also happen that the rash reappears more strongly after initial improvement.
The different symptoms can last for different lengths of time. The rash can be completely absent, but it can also last up to seven weeks and be associated with unpleasant itching. Up to about four weeks after the rash has subsided, the skin can remain dry and flaky and therefore requires particularly intensive care. As a rule, however, the general condition of the patients is not impaired, so that they can usually go back to work or go to school / kindergarten after a week or two.
Furthermore, you can only get the virus once, because you form antibodies and are thus protected from further infection.
Differences between children and adults
Adolescents and adults rarely get rubella, as they usually built up immunity as children.
If the infection does occur, the symptoms are slightly different from those in children:
- Adolescents usually do not have the typical garland-shaped rash, but a rash that only spreads to the hands and feet, the so-called glove-sock syndrome. The reddening is also more punctiform and the vessels are more prominent in the affected areas.
- In adults, the typical rash is usually completely absent and instead other, more pronounced symptoms appear. For example, joint inflammation similar to rheumatoid arthritis is common in young women. In general, the course of the disease is usually more severe in adulthood.
- The virus is particularly dangerous during pregnancy, as there is a 33% chance that it will be transmitted to the unborn child. In the child, it can lead to severe symptoms such as anemia, hydrops fetalis (10%), ascites, decline in cardiac output and, especially between the 10th and 22nd week of pregnancy, death of the child (statistically, 9%).
Read more on the subject at: Rubella during pregnancy
