Eucaryotic Expression And Biological Activities Of Rubella Virus Glycoprotein E1

Rubella virus, the etiological cause of German measles, is the only member of the Rubivirus genus within the Togaviridae family. Humans are the only natural host for the virus, which causes a mild childhood disease known as rubella or German measles. Besides humans, rubella virus can also infects some wild and experimental animals in laboratory, such as Macaca rhesus, marmoset, orangutan, baboon, neonate rat, hamster and rabbit. These animals show the same process of infection as human, including incubation period, viremia and immune response, and the rash is excluded except for baboon.Rubella is usually a very mild disease that usually cannot cause severe consequences. It typically causes scarlet rashes, cervical lymphadenopathy, and mild constitutional symptoms, but in older children and adults, especially women, it may be more severe, with joint involvement and purpura. The most severe consequence is congenital infection. Infection during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy results in congenital infection and/or miscarriage in 80～90% of cases. The congenital rubella syndrome involves multiple organs and systems and has a long period of active infection.Rubella virus can be detected in nasopharyngeal secretions, blood, feces, and urine during the clinical illness, although patients with subclinical disease are also infectious. Rubella virus is spread via oral droplets and is shed in the nasopharynx for approximately 7 days before and after the rash is visible.