Seroprevalence of Rubella Immunity(IgG Antibody) among Female Health Care Workers of our Hospital in Southern India

Introduction: Rubella is a mild exanthematous illness caused by Rubella virus which belongs to the family Togaviridae. Rubella is considered of public health importance for the teratogenic potential of the virus, this lead to disastrous consequences in pregnant women if contracted during first trimester. An effective and safe vaccine against rubella is available, yet according to estimation, over 100,000 infants are born with Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) annually worldwide. Rubella is endemic in India and CRS contributes in morbidity and mortality among the live birth. As rubella vaccine has been incorporated in their immunisation schedule, the incidence of rubella has been reduced drastically. But still seronegative population has been noted in various studies in India. Aim: To evaluate the immune status (Rubella specific IgG antibody) of Rubella among Health Care Workers (HCW) of our hospital. Materials and Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among female health care students and workers (n=145) in a tertiary care teaching hospital in South Chennai from January to February 2017. Blood samples were collected after getting informed consent and serum was separated. A rubella specific IgG antibody was detected by ELISA using the commercially available kit as per the manufacturer's instruction. Samples showing IgG antibody titre >10 IU/mL were taken as positive and <= 10 IU/mL as negative. The results were analysed statistically using Epi Info version 7.2. Results: A total n=145 samples were analysed and among which 124 (85.5%) workers had adequate titre and 21 (14.48%) were negative for rubella IgG antibody. The mean age of the participants was 19.65. The participants were MBBS students (n=75), BDS students (n=48), Laboratory technicians (n=12), Staff nurses (n=9) and Doctor (n=1). None of them was remembering their vaccination status. Conclusion: The study concludes that immunisation of HCWs against rubella is an important target regardless of their vaccination status. There is a more chance of exposure to infection and also in transmission of infection in the hospital environment. Hence, maintenance of immunity is an essential part of prevention and infection control scheme.