Seroepidemiology of Rubella in Women Under 25 Years Old Attending Medical Centers in Ahvaz, Iran in 2013

BACKGROUND: Rubella is a mild viral infection affecting women of reproductive age, and the fetus in early pregnancy, leading to miscarriage, stillbirth and Congenital Rubella Syndrome. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to assess serum level of anti-rubella antibodies in women younger than 25 years attending medical centers in Ahvaz city. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 760 women younger than 25 years attending medical centers in Ahvaz. A sample of 3 mL of venous blood was taken from each woman and ELISA method was used to assess anti-rubella IgG levels. Antibody level more than 11 IU/mL was considered safe. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using Chi-square, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation tests. RESULTS: Of total samples, 683 women (88.9%) had immunity against rubella, 80 (10.4%) no immunity and 5 (0.7%) intermediate levels of antibody. Immunity to rubella increased significantly with aging (P = 0.001) and a significant association was found between age and antibody titer (P = 0.001, r = 0.261). CONCLUSIONS: More than 95% of 15 to 25 year-old women (main reproductive age in Iran) are within acceptable immunity range. Level of immunity to rubella in women of reproductive age in this region appears satisfactory.