Measles, which has been spreading
in the United States
in recent months, is rubeola.
German measles is rubella. Rubella causes a milder illness than measles, but it is of particular concern because if a pregnant woman becomes infected, the virus can cause severe birth defects. Like measles, rubella infections no longer originate in the United States, but travelers can bring it in; since 2001, there has been only a smattering of reported rubella cases. The M.M.R.