1. Get a Physical Examination to Narrow Down Causes of Your Symptoms
Your doctor will start with a physical exam to determine the likelihood that a strain of the measles virus is the cause of your symptoms. Both common measles and German measles (also known as 3-day measles) have a characteristic skin rash, which usually starts on your head and spreads downward all over your body.
In cases of common measles, tiny, flecked white spots are commonly found inside the mouth. However, these spots don't normally develop in cases of 3-day measles. Instead, your doctor may look for red papules on the surface of your soft palate.
2. Blood Tests Confirm the Diagnosis
The rubella virus that causes 3-day measles has an incubation period of 2 to 3 weeks. During that time, your body's natural defenses will develop antibodies to fight off the viral intruder.
If your doctor suspects that you've contracted the rubella virus leading to a case of German measles, he may order blood tests to confirm the diagnosis. Laboratory technicians will look for evidence of rubella-specific antibodies in your blood sample.
3. Viral Cultures May Be Needed
As an alternative to analyzing a blood sample for evidence of antibodies, your doctor may order virus culture tests instead. These tests will still require you to submit a blood sample, though they're handled a little differently at the lab.
Instead of looking for antibodies, the lab technicians will look for evidence of the actual rubella virus. This test may be favored in certain instances, because the antibody test sometimes produces inconclusive results. Rubella antibodies can develop in response to infection, or they may linger if you've had a measles vaccination. Therefore, the presence of antibodies in the blood cannot always be definitively linked to recent infection while the presence of the actual virus can.
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