SEROPREVALENCE OF RUBELLA VIRUS ANTIBODIES AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN 0-10 YEARS IN JOS, PLATEAU STATE

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Department of Medicine

ABSTRACT
Rubella disease occurs worldwide with seasonal variation and affects both the young and elderly and may present as an acute, mild or asymptomatic illness. Infection during early pregnancy may result in congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), stillbirth or miscarriage. CRS often results in multiple birth defects such as heart problems, deafness and blindness which makes rubella a leading cause of preventable congenital defects. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of rubella-specific antibodies in school children 0-10 years in Jos. A cross-sectional descriptive study was done to determine the seroprevalence of rubella specific antibodies, prevalence of recent rubella infection and factors associated with its transmission in Jos. Children aged 0-10 in selected schools in Jos North and South were studied. Serum was obtained from children and tested for IgG and IgM using ELISA. A total of 405 children were studied with a mean age of 6.3 years (SD ± 2.5), out of which 220 (54.3%) were female and the age group, 7-8 had the most participants (113 [27.9%]). 336 (83.0%) children tested positive for rubella IgG while only 9 (2.2%) of children tested were positive for IgM. Age ≥5 years was significantly associated with rubella seropositivity with CI 1.01-3.08 at 95% CI and p value 0.043. There was no significant association between sex of child and rubella seropositivity. Lack of Western education was significantly associated with rubella seropositivity among children at 95% CI (1.21-4.25) and p value 0.009. LGA of residence was also significantly associated with rubella seropositivity as residents of Jos North were more 10 times more likely to be have rubella specific antibodies than residents of Jos South. None of the study participants had ever taken rubella vaccine. A large proportion of children had no antibodies and were still susceptible to rubella virus infection. There is a need to include rubella virus vaccine in the national routine immunization programme.