Rubella presents with a fever and a characteristic rash. However, in about half of the cases, rubella is asymptomatic - without red cubes or elevated temperature. Learn how to find out if you have had rubella and when you should get vaccinated.
Asymptomatic rubella , ie without the characteristic red spots and elevated temperature, indicates a secondary infection that occurs in women who have had rubella or have been vaccinated against the disease. In case of secondary infection, the only symptom of rubella may be enlarged lymph nodes.
How do I know if I have had rubella?
If a woman in her youth has not had rubella, or is not sure if she has had rubella, she should perform serological tests to show IgM and IgG antibodies against the viruses causing rubella.
- IgG are antibodies that appear during primary infection and remain in the body for life. The presence of these antibodies indicates a past illness or vaccination against rubella and our immunity to it.
- IgM are antibodies that appear at the beginning of an infection and disappear from the body after a few weeks.
Interpretation of rubella test results
- IgG (-), IgM (-) you have never had rubella and you are not immune to it. If this happens, get vaccinated as soon as possible.
- IgG (+), IgM (-) you have contact with the virus and this is the last stage of your current illness or you had rubella a long time ago. In this case, tests should be performed again after 3 weeks to ensure that you are resistant. If the results are the same after this period, you are immune and do not need the vaccine.
- IgG (+), IgM (+) you are probably having rubella or the disease has recently ended, therefore IgM antibodies have not been able to disappear from the body yet. In this case, contact your doctor.
Pregnancy rubella test results
Indicators of current infection that are dangerous to the fetus are IgM antibodies, which remain in the body for about 4 weeks. If your pregnancy is IgM positive,additional laboratory testing should be performed. It may turn out that the result is false positive and the woman developed rubella before pregnancy. Then there is no risk of infection of the fetus. If IgM remains positive, treatment should be started as soon as possible. It is worth knowing that rubella infection in the first trimester of pregnancy is considered a medical indication for termination of pregnancy.
If your test results show a high level of IgG (+), your body has developed antibodies that make you resistant to rubella. If your IgG level is negative, it means you have not had rubella and there is a risk of infection, so stay under the care of your doctor throughout your pregnancy.
When should you get the rubella vaccine?
If the test results are negative, the patient should be vaccinated against rubella as soon as possible. If she is already pregnant, she should avoid an environment where it is easy to catch the disease (especially in the first trimester of pregnancy), e.g. kindergartens or nurseries. Remember that you cannot get the vaccine while pregnant.