People get rubella by breathing in droplets that get into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Rubella can also spread by direct contact with fluids from the nose or throat of an infected person. Most cases of rubella are mild. About half of people infected with rubella virus get a rash that looks like small, fine pink spots. The rash first appears on the face and progresses from head to foot, lasting about 3 days.
Children usually develop few or no other symptoms.
Adults can have mild fever, headache, reddened eyes, swollen glands behind the ears, tiredness, and joint pain. An infected person can spread the disease for as many as 5 days before the rash appears to 7 days after. Infectious children should not attend school or day care. In most cases, symptoms appear within 16 to 18 days. Diagnosis is by blood test or virus culture.