Serosurvey of anti-rubella and anti-measles IgG antibodies in young females in Jahrom, southern west Iran in 2012: A review of literature of the serological profile in Iran

Background

Rubella and measles are two highly contagious viral childhood diseases. However, the high possibility of brutal effects of both microorganisms during pregnancy has kept them emerging as a major public health issue. The current study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of rubella and measles among 15–25-year-old females in southwest Iran.

Method

This descriptive study was performed in Jahrom, southern west Iran during 2012. Serum samples from female individuals with an age of 15–25 years visiting main laboratories in our study location were collected and evaluated by a commercial ELISA kit for anti-rubella and measles IgG antibodies.

Results

Among the 179 participants, regarding anti-rubella antibodies, 171 (95.0%) were positive, 3 (1.7%) were negative, and 6 (3.3%) were borderline. Regarding anti-measles antibodies, 166 (92.2%) of the subjects were positive, 1 (5.6%) was negative, and 13 (17.2%) were borderline. By assuming a positive value for the borderline cases, the ultimate findings demonstrated that 98.3% and 99.4% of the participants were immune against rubella and measles, respectively. There was no statistically significant association between measles and rubella immunity with age or the use of immunosuppressor medication.

Conclusion

Implementation of vaccine program has obtained significant immunity level in inhabitants, particularly women of childbearing age who play a more important role in herd immunity. Therefore, maintaining the national immune screening against rubella and measles is needed to take into consideration to maintain the current satisfactory level of immunization.