Nabarangpur: In what could be a serious concern for the Health department, two minors have tested positive for Rubella virus in Odisha's Nabarangpur district.

The minors were identified as Tripati Majhi (2) and Kapilash Majhi (5)  of Padalguda village in Nandahandi block of the district.

As per reports, 18 patients had developed fever and rashes in the area. While initially scrub typhus and leptospirosis was ruled out, it was suspected to be a case of Rubella virus. Later, a district level health team along with officials from the World Health Organisation reached the affected areas and collected samples from five persons whose symptoms were suggestive of the air-borne disease.

The samples were sent to ICMR after which two cases of Rubella virus were confirmed. The condition of the minor boys is stable and health authorities are monitoring the situation, official sources said.

Rubella is caused by a virus that's passed from person to person. It can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread by direct contact with infected mucus from the nose and throat. It can also be passed on from pregnant women to their unborn children through the bloodstream.