Rubella is a disease caused by a virus that is transmitted from person to person by droplets from nasopharyngeal secretions.
Rubella is endemic worldwide and, in the absence of specific vaccine strategies, occurs with epidemics at 7- to 10-year intervals; the most affected ages are 5 to 14 years.
The most significant peaks in incidence occur in the spring months (March-May).
The period of maximum transmissibility is from a few days before to 7 days after the appearance of the rash. In adulthood, about 20 percent of the population is still susceptible to rubella virus.
