Virologic and Serologic Studies on Human Products of Conception after Maternal Rubella

Abstract

ALTHOUGH the teratogenic potential of rubella virus was established by Gregg¹ in 1941 the pathogenesis of fetal damage associated with maternal rubella, of necessity, has remained ill defined. The recent development of procedures for the propagation of rubella virus in the laboratory^{2 , 3} permits virologic and serologic investigation of congenital rubella infections. Already, rubella virus has been recovered from an aborted human fetus.⁴ Furthermore, it is established that congenital infection with rubella virus does not result in a state of immunologic tolerance^{5 , 6}; such an infection may induce a persistent antibody response that may permit a retrospective serologic diagnosis in the . . .