New cases of German measles reported in HCM City

On Monday, 20 new cases of German measles (also called Rubella) were reported in the Cu Chi district of HCM City, making the total number of victims more than 600.
The new patients were all workers from the Sam Jang Co and Natural Co
Recently, the disease, also nicknamed ‘three-day measles’, hit employees at Sam Giang, Chau Thuy Anh, Hanyae and Natural Companies in the district.
The measles also struck in Tan Phu district, where students from local schools contracted the disease.
All patients are isolated at home to prevent the spread of the infection, according to Dr Truong Huu Khanh, department head of the Contagious and Neurological Diseases of the Paediatrics Hospital 1.
German measles is characterized by a rose-colored rash and frequently by other mild symptoms, such as a slight fever, sore throat and swelling of the lymph glands behind the ears.
The rash, which lasts from one to four days, first appears on the face and spreads rapidly to the chest, limbs and abdomen.
Although far less severe than measles, German measles can have severe consequences for women in the first three-months of pregnancy. It is most common among teenagers and young adults and rarely occurs in infants or in adults over the age of 40.
The disease has an incubation period of 14 to 21 days, more commonly 17 or 18 days.
The rubella virus was isolated and identified in 1961, and by the early 1970s, vaccines were readily available.

 

Category: Health