More than 1,500 airline passengers may have been exposed to rubella, after an air stewardess unknowingly contracted the disease. The unnamed China Airlines flight attendant began developing symptoms for the disease - also known as German measles - on March 14. Four days later, doctors confirmed she had German measles and was placed in quarantine, the People's Daily Online reported. Incubation: The air stewardess on the China Airlines flight (not pictured) contracted the disease in February . But the woman, from northern Taiwan, may have infected a number of people during the incubation period - including passengers on the flights. The Chinese Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is now hoping to follow up with 1,558 people who travelled on China Airline's flights between February 21 and February 28, according to Asia One. It is thought 686 Taiwan nationals and 872 international passengers came into contact with the stewardess. But so far, it has only managed to contact 72 of the individuals - and has encouraged anyone who may have travelled on the flights to come forward. Six of the flights were international - four between Taiwan to Japan, and two between Taiwan and Singapore. The CDC is contacting the appropriate authorities in each country to track down the last of the international passengers. Search: But she may have come into contact with as many as 1,558 people before symptoms arrived . Rash: An example of the rash rubella causes . German measles is one of a number of similar viral infections that children commonly pick up at school. These infections, called enteroviruses or adenoviruses, cause fine pink rashes and mild fevers. Rubella - sometimes known as German measles - can cause serious damage to a developing baby if caught by a pregnant woman so it is important to keep an infected child away from pregnant women. The condition has an incubation period of two to three weeks, but actually only lasts for three to five days. An infected child will be infectious from a week before symptoms of the illness appear until four days after the patient appears to have recovered. China Airlines is the flagship carrier for China, and is based in Taiwan. It operates about 1,300 commercial flights every week to destinations around the world .
China Airline's flight attendant diagnosed with disease this month . But may have exposed 1,558 passengers to German measles in February . Centre for Disease Control is now trying to track each one down .