Susceptibility to rubella infection in females at high risk. Immune protection associated to population density
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Tropical and Geographical Medicine
abstract
Susceptibility to rubella in 428 Mexican females of childbearing age from four sanitary areas confined to a Mexican State (Queretaro) was determined. Members of the group were residents of urban and rural communities and selected by random sampling. Anti-viral antibodies were determined by inhibition of haemagglutination. Concentration was expressed as International Units of IgG anti-rubella haemagglutinin (IU/ml). Antibody concentrations lower than 15.6 (IU/ml) were regarded as non-protective. The percentage of women immune-protected to rubella in the areas varied from 28.8 to 75.6 with an average of 61.9. The difference in percentages of immune-protected females within the areas was statistically significant (ampersand-flag-changechi;2 = 48.26 and p ylt; 0.001). Immune protection was associated to population density, with less protection in less populated areas. Our results differ from the reported values of a serosurvey performed in the same state one year before: immune protection 61.9percent-flag-change versus 79.96percent-flag-change, respectively.