German measles (Rubella) is an illness caused by a virus. It is an infection that primarily affects the skin and lymph nodes. The illness is less contagious than measles and chickenpox. It is also called as three-day measles. There is no connection between German measles and measles, which is caused by a different virus.  Incubation period is 14-21 days. Rubella occurs most commonly in children aged 5-10 years.

If a pregnant woman contracts rubella during her first trimester then the virus can cause serious problems like: miscarriage, stillbirth or serious birth defects in the developing child. The defects can be deafness, growth retardation and heart problems. The infection is no longer common because nowadays most children get rubella immunization to prevent the disease.

Most children have German measles in their early childhood. 10 to 20 per cent of 20 to 25-year-olds have never had the disease. A lot of children have German measles in such a mild form that it is never diagnosed.

Causes
Rubella is caused by a virus that passes from person to person.

The measles virus resides in the mucus in the nose and throat of infected people. It can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, the tiny droplet spread in the air and passes to un-infected person.

It can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.

German measles usually causes no long term complications and once you have had German measles you will not get it again.

Signs & Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of rubella are so mild that they're hard to notice, especially in children. The signs and symptoms generally appear between two and three weeks after the exposure to the virus. They last for about two to three days and may include: 

• Aching joints
• Enlarged, tender lymph nodes at the base of the skull, the back of the neck and behind the ears
• Headache
• Inflamed, red eyes
• Mild fever
• Pink rash that begins on the face and quickly spreads to the trunk and then to the arms and legs, before disappearing in the same sequence
• Runny or stuffy nose

Four days later, skin rashes that is consisted of small rounded spots with reddish skin in the middle initially appears on the sides of the face and neck. It gradually spread all over the body. The spots grew darker as it lasts longer.

Usually, it is accompanied by fever and diarrhea. High fever and delirious state are apparent during severe conditions. Complications include bronchitis, abscesses in the ears and pneumonia. Rare complications affect the brain.

Diagnosis
A complete medical history and medical examination, diagnosis is often confirmed with a throat culture and blood testing. The German measles rash looks like many other viral rashes. Doctors usually confirm German measles with the help of laboratory tests.

If the doctor suspects that the patient has German measles, he will do a virus culture or a blood test, which can detect the presence of different types of German measles antibodies in the blood. These antibodies indicate whether a person had a recent or past infection or a German measles vaccine.

Preventions
The German measles vaccine is usually given as a combined Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) immunization, which contains the safest and most effective form of each vaccine.
Children should receive the MMR vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age, and again between 3 and 6 years of age - before entering school. But children who are vaccinated early still need to be vaccinated at the recommended ages later.

In rare instances when a child or adult is infected with rubella, simple self-care measures are required:

• Children with German measles should take adequate bed rest
• Can take medicine to relieve discomfort from fever and aches
• Tell friends, family and co-workers - especially pregnant women - about the diagnosis if they may have been exposed to the disease
• Don't give aspirin to children who have a viral illness.

Treatments

• No treatment can shorten the course of German measles infection.
• If a woman contracts German measles while she is pregnant, she may be given antibodies called hyper-immune globulin that can fight off the infection. This can reduce the symptoms but does not eliminate the possibility of the baby developing congenital rubella syndrome.
• Treatment for congenital rubella syndrome varies depending on the extent of the infant's problems.
• Children with multiple complications may require early treatment from specialists.

Home Treatments

• Drinking plenty of orange juice is a good home remedy for German measles
• Egg plant seeds are stimulant and they are effective in preventing measles contraction for 1 year.
• Lemon juice in water is one of the best remedies for German measles
• Mixing barley water with fresh sweet almond oil is one of the noted home remedy for German measles.
• Mixture of ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, a few drops of honey and bitter gourd leaf juice can be very effective remedy
• Undergo an exclusive fruit diet for a few days as the condition improves.

When to Call the Doctor?

Call the doctor if

• The fever lasts more than 3 days.
• The fever becomes 102° F or above
• Child is younger than 6 months and fever above 100.4° F
• The rashes turns purple
• Your child appears to be getting sicker
• The rashes starts to Itches