A rubella blood test checks to see if you have antibodies to the rubella virus. Antibodies are proteins your immune system makes to help fight infections and keep you from getting sick. They're targeted to specific germs, viruses, and other invaders. Your doctor can tell a lot from the type of antibodies that you have in your blood.
Rubella, also called German measles or 3-day measles, isn't a problem for most people. It causes a mild fever and rash that go away in a few days. Most kids get vaccinated for it with the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) or MMRV (which also includes chickenpox) shots.
But when you're pregnant, rubella can be very serious. If you get it in the first 4 months, your baby could have eye, hearing, or heart problems or be born too soon.
Rubella antibody tests measure the amount of rubella antibodies in a blood sample to help diagnose a current or recent rubella infection. After contracting a rubella infection, the body develops antibodies to the virus. Antibodies are proteins made by the body’s immune system to fight infections, viruses, and bateria.
Rubella Antibodies, IgG
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