The screening of rubella virus IgG antibody in Kaohsiung area women of successive age groups
: In this study, 961 females subjects were observed and their serum Rubella virus IgG antibody was analyzed by the ELISA method (Abbott Rubazyme commercial kit). The sample included 457 students from junior high school, senior high school and college; 144 female hospital workers; and 360 females 16 weeks or less pregnant. The number of positive results was 605 (63.0%). The positive rate increased when age increased: 29.1% (32/110) for ages 12-14; 52.3% (101/193) for ages 15-19; 61.6% (98/159) for ages 20-24; 68.7% (57/83) for ages 25-29 and 78.6% (44/56) ages above 30. The study also found a positive rate of 29.6% (37/125) in junior high school students, 52.7% (79/150) in senior high school students and 62.6% (114/182) in college students; The mean positive rate for the student group is 50.3% (230/457). The positive rate in the female hospital workers group is 71.5% (103/144). The positive rate for the pregnant women is 75.8% (273/360) the highest among these three groupings. The difference in positive rate between the student group and female hospital workers group or between the student group and the pregnant women's group is statistically significant (p less than 0.001). This study found that, among females whose ages are between 20-30 or who are pregnant, only 67.5% (166/246) had been infected by Rubella virus and had Rubella virus IgG antibody. From the epidemiological stand-point, it is worthwhile to screen those female's serum Rubella virus IgG antibody to give them Rubella vaccination if they test negative before marriage.