Evaluation of the automated vitek immunodiagnostic assay system (VIDAS) for the detection of measles (rubeola) IgG antibodies,

[Susceptibility to measles and varicella in healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital in Catalonia]

INTRODUCTION

To estimate the susceptibility to measles and varicella (chickenpox) in healthcare workers in a public tertiary level teaching hospital, in Catalonia.

METHODS

A prevalence study was conducted from January 2006 to December 2008 on 2,752 workers who had serology performed for the determination of measles or varicella by ELISA test during a health examination. Data were analysed by, sex, age, professional category and work unit.

RESULTS

A total of 153 healthcare workers were susceptible to measles and 187 to varicella. The susceptibility of healthcare workers to measles was 6.04% (95% CI: 5.78 to 6.30), and to varicella it was 7.45% (95% CI: 7.14 to 7.75). The highest susceptibility to measles was in resident physicians with 14% (95% CI: 10.8 to 18.5). In high-risk services, where highly immunocompromised patients are attended, the susceptibility of workers was slightly higher than the rest to measles (6.32% vs 5.93%) and varicella (8.34% vs 7.09%). Healthcare workers born after 1980 were 20 times (95% CI: 11.0 to 37.2) more likely to be susceptible to measles, and 2 times (95% CI: 1.2 to 3.2) more likely to be susceptible to varicella than those those born before 1965.

CONCLUSIONS

The susceptibility to measles in healthcare workers in our centre is higher in younger cohorts, with values higher than expected in a community with high vaccination coverage against measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (MMR) in the paediatric population for many years.

Prevalence of childhood exanthematic disease antibodies in paramedical students: need of vaccination

The immunity to common childhood exanthematic diseases such as varicella, rubella, mumps and measles was evaluated in 1024 students of the degree courses of health professions at Padua University Medical School. Subjects were subdivided according to gender and age (25 years old or less, and older than 25 years). Results showed that the prevalence of positive antibodies (IgG) to varicella and rubella (94.1 and 94.5%, respectively) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than mumps (78.6%) and measles (86.3%). In addition, measles showed a significant higher prevalence than mumps (p<0.001). Prevalence of positive antibodies to rubella in females (97.4%) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than males (87.5%), but only if aged 25 years or less. Furthermore, males older than 25 years were significantly more immune (p<0.001) to measles (93.0%) than younger ones (84.3%). A vaccination strategy was applied but compliance was less than 50%; in addition, about 40.0% of vaccinated subjects eluded control after vaccination. Seroconversion after vaccine appeared high for rubella, mumps and measles (92.3, 88.9 and 88.1%, respectively), but low for varicella (43.8%).