Seroprevalence of Rubella IgG in Pregnant Females

Abstract

Objective: To find out the seropositivity of IgG rubella in pregnant women in Pakistan, to assess the prevalence of infection and to estimate the requirement of vaccination.Patients and Methods: In this retrospective cross sectional study total 730 females who visited Salma Kafeel Fertility Clinic (Rawalpindi) for antenatal checkup were inducted. Their age range was 18-45 years. The study was carried out from 2011-2016. ELISA serological testing was used to check the seroprevalence of Rubella IgG.Results: In total the 730 subjects were included in the study and divided in four groups according to their ages. The results were as follows: group 1(18-20yrs) 100% positive, group 2 (21-30yrs) 90.5% positive, group 3 (31-40yrs) 93.5% positive and lastly group 4 (>40yrs) 95%positive. Overall 92.32 % seropositivity was seen while 7.70% were found at risk of developing infection.Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of Rubella in females of child bearing age in Pakistan. This is alarming as it can result in high risk of CRS in newborns and fetal death. Therefore, women planning to become pregnant, who do not have natural immunity to rubella should be vaccinated at least 4 weeks prior to conception.