Seroprevalence of rubella in female healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20243710Keywords:
Rubella, ELISA, Healthcare workers, SeroprevalenceAbstract
Background: The rubella virus is a member of the genus Rubivirus and causes Rubella infection which is a mild disease characterized by a rash. When rubella virus infects susceptible women early in pregnancy, it may be transmitted to the foetus and may cause birth defects known as the congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). In the healthcare setup the female healthcare workers are exposed to various infections and have more chances of acquiring Rubella infections. Hence, the healthcare workers of premarital age need to be assessed for their immune status with respect to rubella IgG antibodies. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate seroprevalence of Rubella IgG.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional and comparative study conducted in the Department of Microbiology, MGM Medical College and Hospital, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai. Female healthcare workers in the age group 18-30 years were included in the study. The specific IgG antibody titre was evaluated by commercially available ELISA.
Results: Among the total participants (172), 20 were seronegative and 152 were seropositive. Of the total seronegative participants, 2 were vaccinated and none of them had history of past Rubella infection. The maximum seronegative participants were from the age group 18-22 and none from 26-30 age group. The prevalence of Rubella IgG antibodies was found to be 88.38%.
Conclusions: The seronegative healthcare workers need to take precautions and due to the gaps in vaccination coverage, Rubella vaccination should be provided to young healthcare workers to prevent potential outbreak.
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