San Antonio charter school reports case of rubella, which is contagious but not same as measles

As a measles outbreak thrusts Texas into the national spotlight, a San Antonio-area school has reported a case of another highly transmissible disease.

Charter school Legacy Traditional School-Cibolo on Friday confirmed to the Current that one of its first-grade students tested positive for rubella, sometimes referred to as “German measles” or “three-day measles.”

Despite the similar name and symptoms, which include a rash, rubella is different from measles, the highly contagious disease at the center of the Texas outbreak. State health officials have confirmed 146 measles cases as of Friday, and one child died earlier this week in a Lubbock hospital.

Sean Amir, the public relations manager at Vertex Education, Legacy Traditional School’s management company, told the Current that the charter school informed state and federal authorities about the rubella case and is now monitoring the situation.

“The school followed protocols to inform state health services and the Center for Disease Control[CDC], and they’ve been working closely with them to monitor and supply all protocols and safety procedures for students and staff on campus,” Amir added.

However, Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesman Chris Van Deusen said the department isn’t aware of any rubella cases in the San Antonio area.

“No confirmed measles or rubella cases in Guadalupe or Bexar counties at this point,” Van Deusen emailed the Current at 11 a.m. Friday.

Although rubella is highly contagious, spreading primarily through respiratory droplets, it’s not as potentially dangerous as measles. Even so, the ailment can cause severe congenital disabilities such as deafness and miscarriage if contracted by pregnant women.

The CDC didn’t immediately respond to Current’s request for comment on whether its officials are aware rubella cases in the area or whether Legacy Traditional School made recent contact.

Legacy’s Amir wouldn’t say how or where the student was tested. He also declined to say why Texas HHS said it’s unaware of the case.

Word of the potential rubella case in the San Antonio area comes as school districts and local public health officials went on high alert after it was revealed a person infected with measles spent time in the area. The individual visited heavily trafficked areas, including UTSA, the River Walk and the I-35’s Buc-ee’s travel stop Feb. 14-15.

Additionally, a Current investigation revealed several San Antonio public and charter schools have MMR vaccination rates below 90%, a threshold that puts them at a considerably higher risk for a measles outbreak, according to the CDC.

Legacy Traditional charter school’s measles vaccination rate is 94.49%, just slightly below the threshold for heard immunity, according to data from Texas HHS. That rate includes the school’s Cibolo, Alamo Ranch and Basse Road campuses.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed

Related Stories

Texas leaders quiet amid the biggest measles outbreak in decades

Declining vaccination rates, decreasing trust in government and a political unwillingness to endorse vaccines is shaping Texas’ measles response.

Low vaccination rates could put some San Antonio schools at increased risk for measles outbreaks

State records show 12 local private and charter schools have vaccination rates that could put them at risk for outbreaks.

Texas records first death in its fast-expanding measles outbreak

The patient, an unvaccinated school-age child, died in a Lubbock hospital.

Texas measles outbreak jumps to 124 cases as San Antonio health officials issue exposure warning

Warnings have also gone out to residents of San Marcos and New Braunfels due to visits from an infected person.

Measles outbreak prompts Mexico to issue travel warning for Texas

On Monday, Texas health officials said 158 cases have been confirmed in the state.

Texas GOP lawmaker brags in video about low vaccination rate at his kids’ school

The school attended by State Rep. Nate Schatzline’s children has a measles vaccination rate of less than 15%.

This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2025.