title: Susceptibility to measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella-zoster viruses among healthcare workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is important to identify and immunize susceptible healthcare workers to prevent and control hospital infections. Our aim was to evaluate the specific antibodies against the measles, mumps, and rubella viruses and the varicella zoster virus among healthcare workers in a tertiary-care hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 284 healthcare workers (89 men and 195 women; mean age, 33.5 ± 11 years), including 111 nurses, 87 physicians, 34 laboratory technicians, and 52 members of the housekeeping staff, of Van Training and Research Hospital were enrolled in this study. Antibodies were detected with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The numbers of workers with serological susceptibility to mumps, measles, rubella, or chicken pox were 26 (9.2%), 18 (6.3%), 7 (2.5%), and 5 (1.8%), respectively. Although the difference was not statistical significant, the rate of seroprevalence of antibodies was lowest for measles (90.8%; p>0.05). Susceptibility to measles, mumps, and rubella, and chicken pox was more prevalent among young healthcare workers (p<0.001). Not all healthcare workers born before 1957 were immune to these vaccine-preventable diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data confirm that screening and vaccination of susceptible healthcare workers is essential regardless of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Gevas State Hospital, Van, Turkey. cenkaypak@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aypak
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bayram
authors.forename: Hayriye
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Adalet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altunsoy
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berktaş
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008457:Measles / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018103:Morbillivirus / Q000276:immunology; D009107:Mumps / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D009109:Mumps virus / Q000276:immunology; D012409:Rubella / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000276:immunology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral