Rubella Seroepidemiology in Hawaii

Abstract

To determine rubella susceptibility levels 10 years after the introduction of the rubella vaccine in Hawaii, a large-scale serosurvey was conducted in conjunction with a campaign to raise the immunity levels of adolescent and adult women. Each woman tested for rubella antibody was asked her age, ethnic group, migration history, number of siblings, vaccination history, and the occupation of the head of the household. In the period from September 1977 through June 1979, serum specimens acceptable for analysis were collected from 3,852 women; 23.8% were susceptible (haemagglutination inhibition antibody titre less than 8) to rubella. A statistical analysis by fitting log-linear models revealed that rubella vaccination history, birthplace, ethnic group, number of siblings and island of residence appear to be factors related to rubella susceptibility. Although caution must be used in comparing this survey with previous surveys, the relatively low rubella susceptibility rate found in this survey may represent a true decrease in rubella susceptibility due to the rubella vaccination programme.

Systematic Review of Measles and Rubella Serology Studies

“…We identified over 220 studies that provided cross‐sectional data and nearly 180 studies that reported on immunity for women of child‐bearing age, primarily for rubella. Table summarizes the over 400 cross‐sectional and women of child‐bearing age measles and rubella serological studies…”

Chemical and Biological Study of Novel Aplysiatoxin Derivatives from the Marine Cyanobacterium Lyngbya sp.

“…Marine cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae, can yield cyanotoxins with many biologically active metabolites, which contained three major groups based largely on their primary toxicological effects: hepatotoxins, neurotoxins, and contact irritants [1,2]. Among them, aplysiatoxins (ATXs), a kind of dermatoxins, which belonged to contact irritants in cyanotoxins, had attracted extensive attentions due to its series of poisoning and allergic events to public health [2][3][4][5][6]. ATXs were first discovered from the digestive gland of the Stylocheilus longicauda in 1970s [7,8].…”

“…Subsequently, ATXs and their related analogues were isolated from Oscillatoria nigroviridis, Schizothrix calcicola, and Moorea producens (formerly Lyngbya majuscule), which all belonged to cyanobacterial species [11][12][13][14]. In the 1980s, ATXs were confirmed as the factor causing marine dermatitis, because the blooms of Lyngbya majuscula broke out on the beach of Oahu Island, Hawaii, with itching or burning, evolving into a blistering eruption [3]. In the 1990s, ATXs and its related compounds led to the causative agents of successive food poisoning cases, with diarrhea, vomiting, and a burning sensation in the throat and mouth [4][5][6].…”

Manauealides, Some of the Causative Agents of a Red Alga Gracilaria coronopifolia Poisoning in Hawaii

“…15,16,17 Aplysiatoxin (4) and debromoaplysiatoxin (5) discovered in a blue-green alga Lyngbya majuscula were also identified as the causative agents of a severe contact dermatitis (swimmers' itch) that sometimes affects swimmers in Hawaiian waters. 16,18 The G. coronopifolia poisonings in Hawaii in 1994, however, were the first reported cases of the implication of aplysiatoxin (4) and debromoaplysiatoxin (5) in food poisoning. 3 We have conducted a continuous study on the toxins associated with the toxic specimen and have recollected G. coronopifolia from the site of the original toxic specimen.…”