| Printable Copy |
 |
| Printable Copy |
|
J Clin Med Res. 2016 Sep;8(9):656-61. doi: 10.14740/jocmr2635w. Epub 2016 Jul 30.
Alvarado-Esquivel C1 Hernandez-Tinoco J2 Sanchez-Anguiano LF2 Ramos-Nevarez A3 Cerrillo-Soto SM3 Salas-Pacheco JM2 Sandoval-Carrillo AA2 Martinez-Ramirez L3 Antuna-Salcido EI2 Guido-Arreola CA3.
The seroepidemiology of rubella virus infection in pregnant women in northern Mexico is largely unknown. We sought to determine the seroprevalence of rubella virus infection in pregnant women in the northern Mexican city of Durango Mexico. Seroprevalence association with the socio-demographic clinical and behavioral characteristics of the pregnant women was also investigated.
Through a cross-sectional study we determined the seroprevalence of IgG and IgM anti-rubella virus in 279 pregnant women (mean age 29.17 ± 5.96 years; range 15 - 43 years) attending in a clinic of family medicine using enzyme-linked fluorescent assays. A questionnaire was used to obtain the socio-demographic clinical and behavioral characteristics of the pregnant women. The association of rubella seropositivity and characteristics of the women was assessed by bivariate and multivariate analyses.
Anti-rubella IgG antibodies (≥ 15 IU/mL) were found in 271 (97.1%) of the 279 pregnant women examined. None of the 279 pregnant women were positive for anti-rubella IgM antibodies. Multivariate analysis of socio-demographic clinical and behavioral variables showed that seroreactivity to rubella virus was positively associated with national trips (OR = 7.39; 95% CI: 1.41 - 38.78; P = 0.01) and negatively associated with age (OR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.06 - 0.99; P = 0.04).
Rate of rubella immunity in pregnant women in the northern Mexican city of Durango is high. However nearly 3% of pregnant women are susceptible to rubella in our setting. Risk factors associated with rubella seropositivity found in this study may be useful for optimal design of preventive measures against rubella and its sequelae.