Can Rubella virus pass into brain stem? B19 virus (about 20 nm) can; which I think is partially because of its small size; not sure of genomics has something to do with the passing. Rubella's (also called German measles) size is then again minimum 45 nm. So I started to think if this virus can pass into the brain stem. **Can Rubella pass into the brain stem?** Some studies are made about Rubella associated hemolysis. I think it is not related with this question at all. Rubella is diffused along carbon dioxide from capillaries into the brain stem, this is my hypothesis.

It obviously can do that, causing a rubella encephalitis. A specialized form seems to be the "Progressive rubella panencephalitis", which is very rare with only 20 cases described since its first description in 1974.

About rubella encephalitis more papers are available, see these for a start:

* Neurological aspects of rubella virus infection.
* Mumps encephalitis: return with a vengeance.
* Neurological Aspects of Rubella Virus Infection