Prevalence of poliovirus neutralizing antibodies. A seroepidemiologic survey of vaccinated and unvaccinated women of fertile age.
The Authors tested a group of 232 women of fertile age, living in the Venice mainland, for presence of detectable protective serum antibodies against poliovirus strains 1, 2 and 3, according to vaccination status with living, attenuated poliovirus. Overall, unvaccinated subjects had a slightly higher prevalence of seropositivity as well as higher geometric mean titres than the women who had undergone a full vaccination course fifteen to twenty years before. Particularly worrisome was lack of protection against poliovirus 3, found in 23% of vaccinated and 15% of unvaccinated study participants. Break in herd immunity might end up in localized outbreaks of poliomyelitis, a not too distant possibility in Italy, where a steady flow of immigrants from North Africa and the Near East provide a source of wild poliovirus strains.
Moschen
M E
ME
University of Verona, Italy.
Farisano
G
G
Bonello
C
C
Benussi
G
G
Barbone
F
F
Gasparini
V
V
Trivello
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017955:Poliovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated