Allen Tran
Mrs.Panes
English 1A, P:3
29 November 2018
Virus Microbe: Rubella
What makes a microbe a microbe? Is it the way it spreads or the way it infects? Rubella is quite a well-known microbe for its virus, German measles. Rubella is a single-stranded RNA that is surrounded by a capsid that infects directly and indirectly by air, touch, and consume. A quite unique virus that isn’t lethal, but can cause severe harm if untreated. A rubivirus that is classified in the family of Togaviridae. As a community, people should always think of ways of dealing with a virus. Rubella is a virus that people can help prevent and expand on their knowledge about Rubella’s traits, infection, or the virus itself.
Rubella has some unique characteristics of its own such as a cell, but less complicated. This is because the virus is actually only made of a single-stranded RNA (3 polypeptides) structured in one capsid. Each of these capsids are made of glycoproteins, lipid bilayer proteins, and icosahedral nucleocapsid. It’s actually unclear of the actual size or mass of the virus, but at a molecular level it’s probably smaller than our human cells because of the virus going inside them. This is how German measles came to play spreading and causing sickness in our cells.
There are many differences between a host cell and Rubella, but some similarities as well. The host cell ( also known as the Eukaryotic Cell) are cells that make up a human being. Every organ and muscle are made up of these cells. Rubella, however, is only a virus that infects, but how does it happen? First of all, the virus enters the respiratory system then the lungs. After multiplying in the respiratory system, white B and T cells ( B cells to attack invaders outside the cell and T cells that attack infected cells), oddly enough, can still get infected by Rubella. Once infected, the infected cells will travel in the bloodstream to locations of the body which include the spleen, lymph nodes, liver, thymus, skin, and lungs. The Rubella virus depends on the host cells to multiply and infect the body, but there are differences to be made as a virus can’t possibly be exactly as our cell. That’s why viruses make humans have symptoms that are usually bad. It’s not something that should be in human cells so they to be seperate.
A virus should always be treated and prevented. It’s been proposed that having Rubella in a system should be treated by vaccination. One that fully prevents the virus is called the MMR vaccine. The MMR stands for measles, mumps, rubella and it has been approved by pediatricians. People must take the vaccination before having the virus, or else the MMR won’t do anything. It is recommended to take the vaccine at birth to make sure the virus won’t immediately come to infect. If one can’t take the vaccine, they must stay isolated from other humans to limit infection in others outside. One cannot rely on their immunity for this virus so don’t expect it to be cured. They can lessen the symptoms by rest and fitness. As for immunity, the Rubella virus and measles were reported to be the first viruses to not be affected by B and T cells. The B and T cells make antibodies to try and stop virus replication and telling other blood cells to also try to stop the virus. For Rubella, all of this is ineffective to the virus. Truthfully, the virus can actually infect and change their function. That’s why it’s recommended to take the vaccine at the beginning of birth.
So is Rubella at all dangerous? Can people try to avoid it at all? Can people expect a change in the future of how to deal with it? The answer is yes. Rubella is a dangerous and epidemic virus, but it can be prevented. Not with our immune system, but taking a vaccine every now and then will surely keep the viruses away. People may not know too much today, but that’s science. Humans learn something new or important each day. And one day, humans may know even more about Rubella and try an even better solution to cure it. It’s only a matter of time until Rubella is permanently isolated and deceased. Humans can find a way to end Rubella and other viruses with enough studying of their traits, causes, and structures.