Rubella IgG

Specimen Required

3-5cc Clotted Blood or Serum

Fasting Required

Purpose of the Test

To determine if you have had a recent or past infection with the rubella virus, or to check that you are protected from the rubella virus

When this test is required

If you are pregnant and have a rash and other symptoms of rubella, your doctor will request a laboratory test to help make the diagnosis since you cannot diagnose rubella just from your clinical appearance (other infections may look the same). Rubella infection during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy presents major risks for the unborn baby. For women who have not received the MMR vaccination it is strongly suggested that before they conceive they are vaccinated. It is advised to then avoid pregnancy for a month after the last dose. Antibody testing is often performed in infants born with abnormalities, such as deafness, mental retardation, heart defects, and cataracts that may have resulted from a rubella infection acquired before their birth. Direct tests to detect the presence of the rubella virus may be carried out on oral secretion or urine.Testing for rubella antibody is not usually done on children or adults who were vaccinated to prove the vaccine was effective.

What the Test Detects

Rubella is a viral infection that causes a fine red rash and flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headache and a general feeling of being unwell. The raised red rash appears first on the face and neck and travels to the body and limbs. Teenagers and adults may experience more severe symptoms, such as joint pains, which may last several weeks. Rubella is usually harmless and the patient gets better without any special…Rubella is a viral infection that causes a fine red rash and flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headache and a general feeling of being unwell. The raised red rash appears first on the face and neck and travels to the body and limbs. Teenagers and adults may experience more severe symptoms, such as joint pains, which may last several weeks. Rubella is usually harmless and the patient gets better without any special treatment, but when a woman gets rubella in the first three months of her pregnancy, serious birth defects, miscarriage, or stillbirth may result. You may be infected when you come into contact with the nasal or throat secretions of someone who has an active viral infection. If you catch rubella, you are infectious one week before the rash appears and one week after. In children, rubella infections generally produce mild symptoms. The number of new cases of rubella is low in the UK since a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) is recommended for all children. The test, which can be done at any time, will provide the necessary information about a person’s immunity to the virus. See MoreSee Less

Preparation for the Test

None

Sample Requirements

A blood sample taken from a vein in the arm (this may need to be repeated after 7 days), oral fluid, a throat swab, or other more invasive samples such as amniotic fluid depending on symptoms.

Additional Notes

If only a low level of antibodies are detected then the test may be inconclusive, and immunisation with the rubella vaccine may be recommended as a precaution.

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