title: Rubella seroprevalence among pregnant women in Burkina Faso.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the serious consequences of rubella infection during early pregnancy, very little is known about the rubella seroprevalence in a number of African countries including Burkina Faso.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between December 2007 and March 2008 serum samples were collected from 341 pregnant women in Bobo (n = 132, urban area) and Houndé (n = 209, rural area) and were tested for rubella-specific IgG antibodies with a commercial ELISA kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An overall seropositivity rate of 95.0% (324/341) was found, with a higher percentage in the urban population and in the oldest age group. Considering an antibody titer of at least 10 International Units per ml as protective, the overall immunity rate in the cohort of pregnant women was 93.3% (318/341).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high overall seropositivity rate in the absence of routine immunization suggests a continuous transmission of endemic rubella virus in Burkina Faso, posing a threat to non-immune pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, 399 Avenue de la liberté, Bobo-Dioulasso BP 545, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Marc C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tahita
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hübschen
authors.forename: Zekiba
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tarnagda
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ernest
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Charpentier
authors.forename: Jacques R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: Claude P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Jean B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ouedraogo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
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