Rubella Associated Maternal and Child Health Problems in the Vaccine Era

Abstract

Rubella virus (RV) is an RNA virus in the family Togaviridae that causes an acute and contagious disease known as rubella. The RV infection is a relatively benign. However, it can cause serious consequences if the infection occurs during pregnancy. In early stage of pregnancy, it can cause miscarriages, stillbirths and a spectrum of birth defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) due to its teratogenic potential. Currently, there is no specific treatment for maternal or congenital RV infections. Nevertheless, its burden can be minimized by using live attenuated rubella vaccine and the control of rubella and CRS cases largely relies on the high population-level of immunity.