A Study on the Immune Status to Rubella Virus among Employees in a University Hospital

Choi, Tae Youn; Kim, Won Bae

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In Korea, there was resurgence of rubella among adolescents in 1995-6. The risk of rubella infection is higher in hospital employees than that in others because of higher chances to exposure to rubella viruses. As rubella infection during pregnancy can cause congenital rubella syndrome, special preventive measures should be taken for female employees under reproductive age in the hospital.
METHODS
The subjects were 440 employees(male 100, female 340) aged from 18 to 45 years in Soonchunhyang university hospital. Rubella IgG antibody was assayed by microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA).
RESULTS
Among 440 subjects, the positive rate for rubella IgG antibody was 91.4% (402/440) that was 95% (95/100) in male and 90% (307/340) in female. The overall titer of the antibody was 105+/- 113IU/mL (mean+/-SD). The titer of rubella antibody was 144+/-135 IU/mL in male and 94+/-103 IU/mL in female with statistical significance (P<0.05). The titer was 152+/-142 IU/mL in doctor and 90+/- 99 IU/mL in female employee with statistical significance (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Because 8.6% of hospital employees was susceptible to rubella, we recommended that the hospital employee should be checked for rubella antibody and be vaccinated when they are seronegative.