'German measles' symptoms include horror rash - but with a noticeable difference

25 November 2023 , 13:48

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Rubella is caused by a different virus than measles, and rubella isn't as infectious or as severe as measles. (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Health agencies have issued a warning amid a newly detected outbreak of measles in England - and shared the key difference between 'German measles' and another similar viral infection.

The viral infection causes a red rash on the body. Aside from the rash, people with German measles usually have a fever and swollen lymph nodes. Rubella isn't the same as measles, but the two illnesses share some signs and symptoms, such as the red rash.

Rubella is caused by a different virus than measles, and rubella isn't as infectious or as severe as measles. The s igns and symptoms of Rubella generally appear between two and three weeks after exposure to the virus. They usually last about 1 to 5 days.

Aside from the rash, people with German measles usually have a fever and swollen lymph nodes (Shutterstock / Chalie Chulapornsiri)

Rubella is caused by a virus that's passed from person to person, which can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Rubella can also be spread by direct contact with infected mucus from a person's nose and throat and can also be passed on from pregnant women to their unborn children through the bloodstream.

It comes as doctors were recently warned to keep a close eye out for measles among kids following a “devastating resurgence” of the life-threatening illness this month. Worrying NHS data, released in November, shows that no vaccines have met the World Health Organisation’s coverage target of 95 per cent in England with the rate at its lowest since 2011.

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The health agency has also issued guidance on how to treat measles. Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects children. It's characterised by symptoms like a fever, cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes and a distinctive red rash that spreads over the body.

The virus spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes and it can remain active in the air or on surfaces for several hours. Thankfully, there is a highly effective vaccine against it and many countries have been declared measles-free. However, due to a decline in parents getting their children vaccinated, outbreaks across the world have reportedly occurred.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects children. (Getty Images)

And new report from the WHO revealed deaths from measles globally rose by 43 per cent from 2021 to 2022. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said some healthcare workers may not have seen symptoms of measles before and they are being told to check whether kids have had their vaccine.

Symptoms of Rubella may include

• Mild fever of 102 F (38.9 C) or lower
• Headache
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Red, itchy eyes
• Enlarged, tender lymph nodes at the base of the skull, the back of the neck and behind the ears
• A fine, pink rash that begins on the face and quickly spreads to the trunk and then the arms and legs, before disappearing in the same order
• Aching joints, especially in young women

Joseph Gamp