Question

How does the Rubella Virus pass from mother to placenta to fetus, causing congenital rubella syndrome?

Does the virus enter through gas exchange? If so, how?

From there, how does the rubella virus infect the cells of the fetus at a molecular level?

Thank you!

Answer 1

During maternal viremia the rubella virus infects the placenta allowing the virus to pass into fetal circulation, the virus readilly infects embryonic stem cells once in the fetus leading to congenitial rubella syndrome, rubella virus was not transmitted across placenta when infection occured prior to gestation, transmission rate increased to maximum levels during the first trimester.

Yes the virus enters through gas exchange.The fetus is connected by the umblical cord to the placenta, it is involved in the exchange of gas, nutients and waste materials between the mother and fetus, when the mother experience infection during pregnancy, often infection is passed on through this, leading to CRS (congenitial rubella syndrome).

The rubella virus is responsible for chronic fetal non-lytic infection, noninflamatory necrosis in the epithelium of the chorion and the endothelial cells happen and these cells are transported to the fetal circulation and fetal organs leading to congenitial rubella syndrome.