Seroepidemiology of Rubella in Women Under 25 Years Old Attending Medical Centers in Ahvaz, Iran in 2013.

BACKGROUND Rubella is a mild viral infection affecting women of reproductive age, and the fetus in early pregnancy, leading to miscarriage, stillbirth and Congenital Rubella Syndrome. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to assess serum level of anti-rubella antibodies in women younger than 25 years attending medical centers in Ahvaz city. PATIENTS AND METHODS This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 760 women younger than 25 years attending medical centers in Ahvaz. A sample of 3 mL of venous blood was taken from each woman and ELISA method was used to assess anti-rubella IgG levels. Antibody level more than 11 IU/mL was considered safe. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using Chi-square, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation tests. RESULTS Of total samples, 683 women (88.9%) had immunity against rubella, 80 (10.4%) no immunity and 5 (0.7%) intermediate levels of antibody. Immunity to rubella increased significantly with aging (P = 0.001) and a significant association was found between age and antibody titer (P = 0.001, r = 0.261). CONCLUSIONS More than 95% of 15 to 25 year-old women (main reproductive age in Iran) are within acceptable immunity range. Level of immunity to rubella in women of reproductive age in this region appears satisfactory.