Rubella epidemiology in South East England

Abstract

SUMMARYAnalyses of data collected in a large survey (sample size > 3000) of rubella antibody in South East England, finely stratified according to age, reveal age-dependent changes in the pattern of virus transmission. The rate or force of infection changes from low in the young children to high in the 5 -to 15-year-olds and back to low again in the adult age classes (there is a 50 % reduction between the 5-to 15-year-olds and the 20 + -year-olds). Raised levels of immunity are recorded in the teenage and young adult female segments of the population as a consequence of the UK rubella immunization programme. Mean antibody concentrations show a decline with age and are, on average, lower in vaccinated females when compared with unvaccinated males of the same age. The interpretation of horizontal cross-sectional serological data and future research needs are discussed.

Sero-epidemiology of rubella in the urban population of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…We used the radial haemolysis test to quantify rubella antibody levels in sera. This is an inexpensive test that was easy to establish in Ethiopia, and has been well evaluated in previous studies [7]. We have found that the RH assay tends to give negative results in adults who are sero-positive by ELISA and presumably have relatively low antibody levels reflecting waning immunity [12].…”

“…Elucidation of age differences requires large sample sizes over a wide age range and fine age stratification, ideally from representative samples of the population under study. Such studies are few [7,20,35]. A functional form for age-dependence in λ put forward by Farrington [13] and shown to fit data from widely different locations of England and Wales and Sao Paulo, Brazil, was unable to describe data from Addis Ababa adequately.…”

“…All serum samples were tested for rubella-specific IgG by radial haemolysis (RH) [7] and results expressed in international units per ml (IU\ml). As previously described [12], the detection limit of the assay under routine use was 8n6 IU\ml.…”

“…Collection of data on the burden of CRS in developing countries is thus a priority [2,3]. In countries where surveillance of cases of CRS is poorly developed, serological surveys of the age-specific prevalence of antibody provide an alternative method of estimating the burden of CRS [6][7][8]. We report findings from a large community-based serosurvey of rubella immunity in urban Ethiopia.…”

Serological study of the epidemiology of mumps virus infection in north-west England

“…Sera collected in 1986 formed part of the countrywide survey of measles, mumps and rubella conducted by the Public Health Laboratory Service, summary results of which have been published [6]. 50 16 18 60-69 61 65 41 40 70-79 31 44 37 39 80+ 7 21 13 34 Total 1357 1316 1194 1157 Serological screening Mumps-specific antibodies were assayed by a radial haemolysis test, using the method previously described [6,11,12]. Screening of the 1986 samples was conducted at Preston, and the 1984 samples at Imperial College.…”