Rubella Virus

Rubella virus is the sole member of the Rubivirus genus of the Togaviridae family. The other genus in the family of Togaviridae is Alphavirus . In contrast to the alphaviruses, which replicate in arthropods and in vertebrates, rubella virus has no invertebrate hosts. As humans are the only known natural host for rubella virus, the virus must circulate continuously within populations of people between periods of epidemics. While direct cellular destruction by rubella virus accounts for some of the tissue damage seen in congenital rubella syndrome, vascular injury and resulting insufficiency are more important in the pathogenesis of congenital defects. The consequences of in utero rubella virus infection can be considered broadly as belonging to one of three categories: (i) signs and symptoms that are transiently apparent in affected infants, (ii) permanent manifestations that are noted within the first year of life, and (iii) manifestations of congenital rubella that are delayed in onset until later in life (2 years of age to adulthood). Rubella virus infection is definitively diagnosed by isolation of rubella virus in tissue culture, using one of several cell lines and primary cell strains. Viral interference in African green monkey kidney (AGMK) cells is one common culture technique by which the presence of rubella virus is demonstrated.