Rubella serosurveys at three Aravind Eye Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India
OBJECTIVE: To determine the susceptibility of female eye hospital staff to rubella infection and the potential risk for hospital-based rubella outbreaks. METHODS: A prospective cohort study on the seroprevalence of rubella IgG antibodies was conducted at three large eye hospitals in Coimbatore, Madu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The World Health Organization
2004-01-01
|
| Series: | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862004000400007 |
| _version_ | 1797281972777648128 |
|---|---|
| author | Vijayalakshmi Perumalsamy Anuradha Rajamanickam Prakash Karthik Narendran Kalpana Ravindran Meenakshi Prajna Lalitha Brown David Robertson Susan E. |
| author_facet | Vijayalakshmi Perumalsamy Anuradha Rajamanickam Prakash Karthik Narendran Kalpana Ravindran Meenakshi Prajna Lalitha Brown David Robertson Susan E. |
| author_sort | Vijayalakshmi Perumalsamy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | OBJECTIVE: To determine the susceptibility of female eye hospital staff to rubella infection and the potential risk for hospital-based rubella outbreaks. METHODS: A prospective cohort study on the seroprevalence of rubella IgG antibodies was conducted at three large eye hospitals in Coimbatore, Madurai and Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India, where young children with eye abnormalities attributable to congenital rubella are treated. A total of 1000 female hospital employees aged 18-40 years agreed to participate and gave written informed consent. FINDINGS: The proportions of rubella-seronegative women were: 11.7% at Coimbatore, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 8.1-16.5; 15% at Madurai (95% CI = 12.3-18.1), and 20.8 at Tirunelveli (95% CI = 14.7-28.6). For the entire cohort the proportion seronegative was significantly higher among married women (21.5%) than among single women (14.0%) (P = 0.02). Rates of seronegativity were highest among physicians and lowest among housekeepers. All 150 seronegative women in the study sample accepted a dose of rubella vaccine. CONCLUSION: These are the first rubella serosurveys to have been reported from eye hospitals in any country. The relatively high rate of susceptibility indicated a risk of a rubella outbreak, and this was reduced by vaccinating all seronegative women. A policy has been established at all three hospitals for the provision of rubella vaccine to new employees. Other hospitals, especially eye hospitals and hospitals in countries without routine rubella immunization, should consider the rubella susceptibility of staff and the risk of hospital-based rubella outbreaks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T17:05:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cbe3a8a198064672ab319b0392275b9b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0042-9686 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T17:05:11Z |
| publishDate | 2004-01-01 |
| publisher | The World Health Organization |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| spelling | doaj.art-cbe3a8a198064672ab319b0392275b9b2024-03-03T02:42:48ZengThe World Health OrganizationBulletin of the World Health Organization0042-96862004-01-01824259264Rubella serosurveys at three Aravind Eye Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, IndiaVijayalakshmi PerumalsamyAnuradha RajamanickamPrakash KarthikNarendran KalpanaRavindran MeenakshiPrajna LalithaBrown DavidRobertson Susan E.OBJECTIVE: To determine the susceptibility of female eye hospital staff to rubella infection and the potential risk for hospital-based rubella outbreaks. METHODS: A prospective cohort study on the seroprevalence of rubella IgG antibodies was conducted at three large eye hospitals in Coimbatore, Madurai and Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India, where young children with eye abnormalities attributable to congenital rubella are treated. A total of 1000 female hospital employees aged 18-40 years agreed to participate and gave written informed consent. FINDINGS: The proportions of rubella-seronegative women were: 11.7% at Coimbatore, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 8.1-16.5; 15% at Madurai (95% CI = 12.3-18.1), and 20.8 at Tirunelveli (95% CI = 14.7-28.6). For the entire cohort the proportion seronegative was significantly higher among married women (21.5%) than among single women (14.0%) (P = 0.02). Rates of seronegativity were highest among physicians and lowest among housekeepers. All 150 seronegative women in the study sample accepted a dose of rubella vaccine. CONCLUSION: These are the first rubella serosurveys to have been reported from eye hospitals in any country. The relatively high rate of susceptibility indicated a risk of a rubella outbreak, and this was reduced by vaccinating all seronegative women. A policy has been established at all three hospitals for the provision of rubella vaccine to new employees. Other hospitals, especially eye hospitals and hospitals in countries without routine rubella immunization, should consider the rubella susceptibility of staff and the risk of hospital-based rubella outbreaks.http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862004000400007Rubella/epidemiologyRubella/immunologyRubella syndrome, CongenitalHospitals, SpecialPersonnel, HospitalCross infectionRubella vaccineWomenSeroepidemiologic studiesProspective studiesCohort studiesIndia |
| spellingShingle | Vijayalakshmi Perumalsamy Anuradha Rajamanickam Prakash Karthik Narendran Kalpana Ravindran Meenakshi Prajna Lalitha Brown David Robertson Susan E. Rubella serosurveys at three Aravind Eye Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India Bulletin of the World Health Organization Rubella/epidemiology Rubella/immunology Rubella syndrome, Congenital Hospitals, Special Personnel, Hospital Cross infection Rubella vaccine Women Seroepidemiologic studies Prospective studies Cohort studies India |
| title | Rubella serosurveys at three Aravind Eye Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India |
| title_full | Rubella serosurveys at three Aravind Eye Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India |
| title_fullStr | Rubella serosurveys at three Aravind Eye Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rubella serosurveys at three Aravind Eye Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India |
| title_short | Rubella serosurveys at three Aravind Eye Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India |
| title_sort | rubella serosurveys at three aravind eye hospitals in tamil nadu india |
| topic | Rubella/epidemiology Rubella/immunology Rubella syndrome, Congenital Hospitals, Special Personnel, Hospital Cross infection Rubella vaccine Women Seroepidemiologic studies Prospective studies Cohort studies India |
| url | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862004000400007 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vijayalakshmiperumalsamy rubellaserosurveysatthreearavindeyehospitalsintamilnaduindia AT anuradharajamanickam rubellaserosurveysatthreearavindeyehospitalsintamilnaduindia AT prakashkarthik rubellaserosurveysatthreearavindeyehospitalsintamilnaduindia AT narendrankalpana rubellaserosurveysatthreearavindeyehospitalsintamilnaduindia AT ravindranmeenakshi rubellaserosurveysatthreearavindeyehospitalsintamilnaduindia AT prajnalalitha rubellaserosurveysatthreearavindeyehospitalsintamilnaduindia AT browndavid rubellaserosurveysatthreearavindeyehospitalsintamilnaduindia AT robertsonsusane rubellaserosurveysatthreearavindeyehospitalsintamilnaduindia |