Europe rubella outbreak: Alert as 12 workers at slaughterhouse in Spain catch disease

Twelve people working at the slaughterhouse in Zaragoza have been diagnosed with the disease, which spreads in coughs and sneezes. And more people are feared to be infected, due to the long period of up to three weeks before symptoms start to show. The outbreak of rubella is the largest recorded in Spain since 2012.

However local authorities and Grupo Jorge, the company who owns the facility, insisted the outbreak of the disease at the slaughterhouse does not pose a risk to the population who eat meat.

A spokesman for Grupo Jorge added: “The outbreak does not have any relationship with the work activity, it has coincided because it is a space of coexistence, as any other could be.”

The outbreak started at the end of November, where there were cases of an undiagnosed disease at the slaughterhouse which processes hundreds of tons of meat for human consumption every day.

Seven workers were initially affected, suffering from a high temperature and a rash.

The number of cases rose to 12 in early December, with tests confirming the disease was rubella.

The majority of those affected are young adults from sub-Saharan Africa and eastern Europe, according to department sources.

José Miguel Cisneros, president of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, said: “The existing high vaccination coverage gives protection even if there is a new case.

“In general, the majority of the Spanish population born since the 70s has been vaccinated and the elderly had rubella as children. The immunisation may be lower in the population born in countries where vaccination coverage is lower.”

The main symptom of rubella is a red or pink spotty rash that takes two to three weeks to appear after catching the disease.

The rash starts behind the ears before spreading to the head, neck and body.

Rubella can also cause aching fingers, wrists or knees, a high temperature, coughs, sneezing and a runny nose, headaches, a sore throat and sore eyes.

The MMR vaccine protects against rubella, which can be very dangerous if you are pregnant.

Additional reporting by Maria Ortega.