How contagious is rubella for a pregnant woman?

In Germany, about 70% of adults have been affected by rubella once in their lives. This shows how easily one can be infected with the virus. Pregnant women are rather more susceptible to the pathogens in their environment due to the processes in their bodies compared to the normal population.

The course of an infection with Ringel rubella is characterized by the beginning with the infection, then a symptom-free incubation period (this is the time from infection to the outbreak of a disease), followed by a period with possibly fever, a poor general condition and flu symptoms until the characteristic rash appears. Once the rash is visible, the disease is no longer contagious. After an infection, one is immune to the virus for the rest of one’s life. Pregnant women who have not been infected with Ringel rubella in their lifetime have a great potential to become infected with Ringel rubella if cases of the disease occur in their immediate environment.

How do I protect myself from infection?

The Ringel rubella virus is transmitted from person to person by droplet infection, i.e. by speaking, sneezing or coughing. The risk of infection can be minimized if you make sure that you wash your hands regularly, hold the crook of your arm in front of your mouth when coughing and sneezing and rub your hands with disinfectant. The likelihood of getting infected with rubella is in communal facilities with many children, so if you are pregnant you should stay away from it. You cannot protect yourself from rubella with a vaccination.

Employment ban

For some pregnant women a prohibition of employment is given, so that they are not exposed on their job unnecessarily for example to the pathogen of the rubella. This has to do with the risk for the unborn baby, which can also be infected and damaged if the mother is infected. After an infection there is lifelong protection against the disease. If, however, the expectant mother has never had a rubella infection, one speaks of a seronegative pregnant woman.Seronegative refers to the blood serum (Sero) that tested negative for antibodies against the virus. Who has to do thus vocationally with many children and is seronegativ, a prohibition of employment is expressed for the entire duration of the pregnancy.