title: Trends of rubella incidence during a 5-year period of case based surveillance in Zimbabwe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rubella is a disease of public health significance owing to its adverse effects during pregnancy and on pregnancy outcomes. Women who contract rubella virus during pregnancy may experience complications such as foetal death or give birth to babies born with congenital rubella syndrome. Vaccination against rubella is the most effective and economical approach to control the disease, and to avoid the long term effects and high costs of care for children with congenital rubella syndrome as well as to prevent death from complications. Zimbabwe commenced rubella surveillance in 1999, despite lacking a rubella vaccine in the national Expanded Programme on Immunization, as per the World Health Organization recommendation to establish a surveillance system to estimate the disease burden before introduction of a rubella vaccine. The purpose of this analysis is to describe the disease trends and population demographics of rubella cases that were identified through the Zimbabwe national measles and rubella case-based surveillance system during a 5-year period between 2007 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Zimbabwe National Measles Laboratory for the 5-year study period were analysed for age, sex, district of origin, seasonality, and rubella IgM serostatus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3428 serum samples from cases of suspected measles in all administrative districts of the country were received by the laboratory during this period. Cases included 51% males and 49% females. Of these, 2999 were tested for measles IgM of which 697 (23.2%) were positive. Of the 2302 measles IgM-negative samples, 865 (37.6%) were rubella IgM-positive. Ninety-eight percent of confirmed rubella cases were children younger than 15 years of age. Most infections occurred during the dry season.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The national case-based surveillance revealed the disease burden and trends of rubella in Zimbabwe. These data add to the evidence for introducing rubella-containing vaccine into the national immunization programme.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Zimbabwe-College of Health Sciences, Mazoe Street, A178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. chimhuya.simbarashe@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Simbarashe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chimhuya
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Disease Control Directorate, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe. directoredc@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Portia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manangazira
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology Department, University of Zimbabwe-College of Health Sciences, Mazoe Street, A178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. amukaratirwa@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukaratirwa
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology Department, University of Zimbabwe-College of Health Sciences, Mazoe Street, A178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. nzirap@daad-alumni.de.
authors.forename: Pasipanodya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nziramasanga
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology Department, University of Zimbabwe-College of Health Sciences, Mazoe Street, A178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. cberejena@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chipo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berejena
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology Department, University of Zimbabwe-College of Health Sciences, Mazoe Street, A178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. ashonhai@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shonhai
authors.affiliation: Expanded Programme of Immunization, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe. kamupotam@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamupota
authors.affiliation: Expanded Programme of Immunization, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe. reginagerede@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerede
authors.affiliation: Expanded Programme of Immunization, World Health Organization, Harare, Zimbabwe. munyorom@who.int.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munyoro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Services Directorate, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe. douglas.mangwanya@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mangwanya
authors.affiliation: Curative Services Directorate, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe. tapfuman@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tapfumaneyi
authors.affiliation: Immunization and Vaccines Development, East and South Africa Inter-Country Support Team, World Health Organization, Harare, Zimbabwe. byabamazimac@who.int.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Byabamazima
authors.affiliation: Immunization and Vaccines Development, East and South Africa Inter-Country Support Team, World Health Organization, Harare, Zimbabwe. eshetum@who.int.
authors.forename: Eshetu Messeret
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Shibeshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Zimbabwe-College of Health Sciences, Mazoe Street, A178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. knathoo@mweb.co.zw.
authors.forename: Kusum Jackison
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Nathoo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000453:epidemiology; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012621:Seasons; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014944:World Health Organization; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D012411:Rubella Vaccine