DE TERMINATION OF NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES AGAINS T THE MUMPS VIRUS IN SELECTED GROUPS IN TEHRAN AND TWO IRANIAN VILLAGES

A micro neutralization test was used for the detection and evaluation of mumps neutralizing antibodies. A total of 1037 blood samples from selected groups of students aged 7 to 22 years in south and east of Tehran, 139 blood samples from the umbilical cords of pregnant women at two Tehran hospitals at delivery time, and 190 samples from children under five years of age who were living in two villages located in Zandjan province, were tested. The results of this study indicated that the percentage of the above mentioned sera having mumps virus neutralizing antibodies with a titer of 1:2 or greater was 69.6%,92.8%, and 29.5%, respectively. Vaccination against mumps is optional in the Islamic Republic of Iran and therefore it is believed that the virus is circulating among susceptible subjects. These data also suggest that children could be a target for mumps vaccination.