Background: Although rubella is generally considered a benign childhood disease, infection of a pregnant woman can cause foetal congenital rubella syndrome, which results in embryo-foetal disease and malformations. The syndrome is still a public health problem in developing countries where the vaccine has not yet been introduced, such as the Central African Republic (CAR). The aim of the study reported here was to define the epidemiology of primary rubella infection, in order to determine its effect on morbidity rates in the country.
Methods: Data derived from epidemiological surveillance of measles and rubella were analysed retrospectively between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2014. The database includes cases of suspected measles, according to the WHO clinical case definition. In this algorithm, samples that are negative or doubtful by ELISA for measles (presence of immunoglobulin M) are tested in another ELISA for detection of rubella-specific IgM. Descriptive analyses were conducted for socio-demographic characteristics, including age, sex and health region, for patients tested for rubella.
Results: Of the sera tested for rubella, 30.2 % (425/1409) were positive, 62.3 % (878/1409) were negative, and 7.5 % (106/1409) were doubtful. Among the 425 positive cases, 213 (50.1 %) were female and 212 (40.9 %) were male with a sex ratio of 1.03. The mean age was 8 years (range, 6-37 years). The highest prevalence (47.3 %; 116/425) was seen in 2007 and the lowest (8.9 %; 11/425) in 2012. Primary infections were always more frequent during the first 3 months of the year, with a peak at the same time, between January and February which is the hottest period of the year in the CAR. In both sexes, rubella IgM was rarely found before the age of 1 year (0.5 %; 2/425). The highest rate (43.5 %; 185/425) was observed at ages 5-9 years; however, at least 8 % (18/213) of girls aged 15 or more had primary infections.
Conclusions: Sentinel sites for surveillance of congenital rubella syndrome are urgently needed, and introduction of vaccination against rubella in the Expanded Programme of Immunization should be considered, to ensure immunization of girls of reproductive age.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12879-016-1842-2 | DOI Listing |
Gynecol Obstet Fertil Senol
January 2025
Division of Virology, WHO Rubella National Reference Laboratory, Paris Saclay University Hospital, APHP, Paris, France; Université Paris-Saclay, INSERM U1184, CEA, Center for Immunology of Viral, Auto-immune, Hematological and Bacterial diseases (IMVA-HB/IDMIT), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
The Société de Pathologie Infectieuse de Langue Française released in 2024 a new national recommendation for clinical practice on the prevention and management of varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection during pregnancy and the perinatal period. The previous recommendation was issued in 1998, at a time of anti-VZV immunoglobulins shortage; it has hence become obsolete. This recommendation is a formalized expert consensus focusing on infectious diseases management; it is drawn up by a multidisciplinary working group (infectiologists, obstetricians, pediatricians, microbiologists, midwives, hygienists).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Gastroenterol Hepatol
January 2025
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville FL. Electronic address:
Description: The aim of this American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Clinical Practice Update (CPU) is to provide best practice advice (BPA) statements for gastroenterologists and other health care providers who provide care to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The focus is on IBD-specific screenings (excluding colorectal cancer screening, which is discussed separately) and vaccinations. We provide guidance to ensure that patients are up to date with the disease-specific cancer screenings, vaccinations, as well as advice for mental health and general wellbeing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccine
January 2025
The Child and Adolescent Clinic, Juliane Marie Center, The Danish National University Hospital "Rigshospitalet", Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark; Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Background: Lowering the age for receiving the first dose of a measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) has been suggested to close the emerging immunity gap in infants. However, tolerability remains one of the main concerns for vaccine-hesitant parents. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of reactogenicity following MCV1 in infants under 12 months of age.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Rheumatol
January 2025
Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Zeynep Kamil Women and Children's Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
J Infect
January 2025
Bandim Health Project, Research Unit OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Objectives: To investigate if receipt of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine following the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP3) is associated with reduced rates of non-targeted infectious disease hospitalisations.
Methods: Register based cohort study following 1,397,027 children born in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden until 2 years of age. Rates of infectious disease hospitalisations with minimum one overnight stay according to time-varying vaccination status were compared using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis with age as the underlying timescale and including multiple covariates.
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