Rubella, also commonly called "German measles", was previously considered a variant of measles until 1814, when it was correctly indicated for the first time as a distinct disease in German medical literature. Although rubella rash is similar to the rash associated with measles, rubella is less serious and less infectious. Rubella is distinguished by a red rash that first appears on the face and spreads to the trunk, arms and legs and disappears at the same rate. The rash looks like many other viral rashes and must be confirmed with blood tests for the presence of rubella antibodies. The rash itself presents mild discomfort with cold-like symptoms. Symptoms may include low-grade fever (<102 degrees Fahrenheit), sore throat, headache, and red eyes. Adults, especially women, may also experience joint pain and swollen lymph nodes. About fifty percent of people infected with rubella will have no symptoms. Symptoms usually last between two and three days and appear two to three weeks after exposure to the virus. Although rubella is usually a mild illness, rare cases can lead to encephalitis (a brain infection) occurring in about one in six thousand cases or temporary blood problems; which rarely lead to long-term consequences. The most devastating symptom of rubella is the development of congenital rubella syndrome when a pregnant woman passes the virus to her fetus. Infected pregnant women have a 90% chance of transmitting the virus to the fetus, which can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and serious birth defects. These defects include: glaucoma, cataracts, bone diseases, failure to thrive, abnormal muscles...... middle of paper ...... the vaccine is given and some have mistaken this as a cause and effect. Celebrities and other individuals who tell others not to vaccinate their children because it is dangerous could potentially expose a large portion of the population who are unprotected and therefore potentially susceptible to rubella. Although there is no cultural group particularly susceptible to rubella, a study led by a Mayo Clinic vaccinologist and published February 26, 2014 in the journal Vaccine indicates that Black Americans respond better to the rubella vaccine than those of European or Hispanic origin. Researchers found that Somali Americans developed twice as many rubella antibodies after receiving the currently approved rubella vaccine as white Americans. Hispanics appear to have the weakest immune response to the vaccine.