Maternal rubella-specific antibody prevalence in Ethiopian infants

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 94; no. 3; pp. 333 - 340
• Main Authors: Kebede, Senait, Nokes, D.James, Cutts, Felicity T., Nigatu, Wondatir, Sanderson, Francis, Beyene, Hagos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2000; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Age Distribution; Antibodies, Bacterial - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethiopia; Ethiopia - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; infants; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Logistic Models; maternal antibody; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous. Technology; optimal age at vaccination; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - immunology; Prevalence; rubella; Rubella - epidemiology; Rubella - immunology; Tropical medicine; Ethiopia; Africa; rubella; infants; maternal antibody; optimal age at vaccination; Ethiopia; Human; Virus; Maternal origin; Antibody; Immunological investigation; Rubivirus; Togaviridae; Infant; Rubella virus; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/S0035-9203(00)90347-X

In countries with a high transmission rate of rubella the optimal age for universal rubella vaccination of infants is critically dependent upon the rate of loss of maternal antibodies. Few studies have investigated the decay characteristics of such antibodies. Mother:infant pairs were recruited at the Ethio-Swedish Children's Hospital, Addis Ababa, in 1994/95. Rubella antibody levels, determined by radial haemolysis, were available for analysis from 1542 infants aged 0–12 months, with 942 repeat measures, and from 846 mothers. Decay in seropositivity was well described by a delayed exponential function. The proportion seropositive at age 6, 9, or 12 months was 6–13%, 1–4%, or 0–1%, respectively, dependent upon assay cut-off level. Only infant age and mother's antibody level were important predictors of seropositivity. Results suggest that the success of vaccination at age 9 months or above would be little affected by residual maternal antibodies.