Rubella (German measles)

1996 Case Definition

Clinical case definition

An illness that has all the following characteristics:

• Acute onset of generalized maculopapular rash
• Temperature greater than 99.0 F (greater than 37.2 C), if measured
• Arthralgia/arthritis, lymphadenopathy, or conjunctivitis

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Isolation of rubella virus, or
• Significant rise between acute- and convalescent-phase titers in serum rubella immunoglobulin G antibody level by any standard serologic assay, or
• Positive serologic test for rubella immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody

Case classification

Suspected: any generalized rash illness of acute onset

Probable: a case that meets the clinical case definition, has no or noncontributory serologic or virologic testing, and is not epidemiologically linked to a laboratory-confirmed case

Confirmed: a case that is laboratory confirmed or that meets the clinical case definition and is epidemiologically linked to a laboratory-confirmed case

Comments

Serum rubella IgM test results that are false positives have been reported in persons with other viral infections (e.g., acute infection with Epstein-Barr virus [infectious mononucleosis], recent cytomegalovirus infection, and parvovirus infection) or in the presence of rheumatoid factor. Patients who have laboratory evidence of recent measles infection are excluded.

See also:

• 2009 Case Definition
• 2007 Case Definition
• 1990 Case Definition

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