Rubella, aka German measles, is a mild, infectious childhood disease caused by a virus. The incubation period of rubella is two to three weeks, after which a rash appears on the torso. The symptoms are often mistaken for those of the common cold, and in most cases rubella is no more uncomfortable than the cold.Rubella is a virus transmitted by respiratory droplets in sneezes or coughs. Children infected with it are most contagious when the rash is erupting, but are still mildly contagious for several days before and after the rash. Therefore, children with rubella should be kept at home until a week after the rash is gone.
