Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS)

Congenital rubella is the infection of a foetus with rubella virus following the infection of the mother during pregnancy. ‘Congenital’ indicates that the foetus also becomes infected during pregnancy. Rubella is a mild febrile rash illness caused by rubella virus and is transmitted from person to person via droplets (the virus is present in throat secretions). It can affect anyone who is not protected. Read the factsheet on congenital rubella syndrome