Diagnosing rubella

If you suspect rubella, phone your GP surgery or NHS 111 straight away for advice.

Don't visit your GP surgery without phoning first, as arrangements may need to be made to reduce the risk of spreading any infection to other people.

Contact with pregnant women should be avoided as rubella can cause serious problems in an unborn baby, although this is very rare nowadays.

Your GP should be able to arrange a time for you to visit that won't put other people at risk.

You should keep your child away from school or yourself away from work until you've seen your GP.

Your GP may suspect rubella fromthe symptoms, but as other viral infections often have similar symptoms, testing a sample of saliva or blood is the only way to confirm a diagnosis.

Saliva and blood tests

If rubella is suspected, a sample of saliva from your mouth or blood taken from a vein in your arm can betaken andtested for certain antibodies.

Antibodies are proteins your body produces to destroy disease-carrying organisms and toxins. If you have rubella or you've had it in the past, your saliva or blood will test positive for certain antibodies:

• IgM antibody this will be present if you have a new rubella infection
• IgG antibody this will be present if you've had the rubella infection in the past, or you've beenvaccinated against it

If neither antibody is present, you don't have rubella and you haven't been immunised against it.

Diagnosis in pregnancy

If you're pregnant,you should contact your GPor midwife as soon as possible if:

• you come into contact with someone who has rubella
• youhave a rash or come into contact with anyone who has a rash
• you have symptoms of rubella

It's unlikely you have rubella in these circumstances, but a blood test may be necessary tocheck for the condition.

In the rare cases where testing shows you do have rubella, you'll be referred to a doctor who specialises inconditions that can affect unborn babies (obstetrician). You may be offered further tests, such as an Ultrasound scan ,to check for any signs of problems in your baby.

You'll also be offered counselling so you can make an informed decisionabout whether you wish to continue with the pregnancy if serious problems are found.

Antibodies

Antibodies are your body's natural defence against any foreign antigens that enter your blood. An antibody is a protein that is produced by the body to neutralise or destroy disease-carrying organisms and toxins.