Recent trends in seroprevalence of rubella in Korean women of childbearing age: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the immunity against rubella using the serological status of rubella-specific IgG antibodies (antirubella IgG) in Korean women of childbearing age (15–49 years).DesignRetrospective cross-sectional study.SettingPopulation-based cross-sectional study in South Korea.ParticipantsBetween January 2010 and December 2017, test results from Korean women aged 15–49 years who had visited an obstetric private clinic (nationwide institutions) and had requested rubella-specific IgG antibody tests from Green Cross Laboratories were obtained from the laboratory information system.ResultsBetween 2010 and 2017, antirubella IgG test results from 328 426 Korean women aged 15–49 years who had visited private obstetric clinics (1438 institutions nationwide) were retrospectively analysed by tested year, age, cohort and geographic regions. Over the 8-year study period, the rate of unimmunised women ranged from 7.8% to 9.7%. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models showed that the odds of being immune to rubella (positive and equivocal results of antirubella IgG test) were lower in 2017 compared with 2010, in women in their 40s, in a pre-catch-up cohort and in women living in Incheon, Busan, South Gyeongsang, North and South Jeolla and Jeju provinces (p<0.0001).ConclusionsIn consideration of the factors associated with prevalence of women unimmunised to rubella, future public health efforts should be focused on catch-up activities. The results of this study could be used to strengthen disease control and prevent rubella, including a nationwide immunisation programme.

Seroprevalence of CMV IgG and IgM in Korean women of childbearing age

“…1 The rate of positive CMV IgG was lowest (less than 80%) in women younger than 20 years. Previous studies performed in Korean women reported that overall CMV IgG seroprevalence was 98.1% in pregnant women investigated in 2008 6 and 97.0% in women of childbearing age (15-49 years) investigated during 1995-2015. 8 In a later study, the seroprevalence of CMV IgG in women aged 15-19 years was 83.8%, comparable to that in the present study.…”

“…14 Although there was no significant difference between annual number of congenital CMV infection and CMV IgG or IgM results in this study, the number of congenital CMV infections was more than five to 10 times higher than that of congenital rubella infection, with fewer than 10 annual cases under nationwide disease control with an immunization programme. 6 However, the efficacy of a national health screening programme for CMV infection still needs to be investigated. 4,14,15 Future studies regarding the efficacy of CMV screening in large populations are needed.…”

“…1 Recent studies have reported changes in global seroepidemiology of CMV based on geographic, ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic factors. 1,5,6 Previous studies' different ethnic populations used different analytical platforms and different seroprevalence of CMV over different study periods. 1,5 However, limited data are available for CMV seroprevalence in the Korean population.…”

“…7,8 Previous studies performed in Korean women include only CMV IgG seroprevalence without CMV IgM seroprevalence or information on age of subjects, which is important in CMV seroprevalence; data analysed were from earlier than 2015; or there were a limited number of study subjects. 1,6,8 Therefore, we aimed to investigate recent seroprevalence of CMV IgG and IgM test results in Korean women overall and by year and age in this study.…”

Seroprevalence of rubella virus among pregnant women: A 4‐year registered‐based study from family medicine and obstetric clinics in Saudi Arabia

“…In an Iranian meta‐analysis, of the total 7601 pregnant women, the pooled prevalence of immunity was 90.1%. Prior to the introduction of the national vaccination program, rubella immunity was 88.6% and it increased to 91.5% after the program 8 In addition, in a Korean based study, analysis showed that 8.6%, 15% and 76.4% of women were tested IgG negative, equivocal and positive, respectively 9 . Moreover, in Ethiopia, positive rubella infection was reported in 9.5% of pregnant women, while 79.5% were immune, and 11% were susceptible 1 …”