Increase in rubella and congenital rubella syndrome--United States, 1988-1990.

In 1988, health departments in the United States reported an all-time low of 225 cases of rubella. However, in 1989, the number of reported cases increased nearly twofold, and in 1990, an additional threefold. As of January 4, 1991, a provisional total of 1093 cases (0.4 cases per 100,000 population) had been reported to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) for 1990--the highest total since 1982 (Figure 1). This report summarizes the increase in rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) since 1988.