Virologic and Serologic Studies on Human Products of Conception after Maternal Rubella

ALTHOUGH the teratogenic potential of rubella virus was established by Gregg1 in 1941 the pathogenesis of fetal damage associated with maternal rubella, of necessity, has remained ill defined. The recent development of procedures for the propagation of rubella virus in the laboratory2 , 3 permits virologic and serologic investigation of congenital rubella infections. Already, rubella virus has been recovered from an aborted human fetus.4 Furthermore, it is established that congenital infection with rubella virus does not result in a state of immunologic tolerance5 , 6; such an infection may induce a persistent antibody response that may permit a retrospective serologic diagnosis in the . . .