Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T05:39:38.439Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Rubella in the developing world

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

C. L. Miller
C. L. Miller
Affiliation:
23, Downshire Hill, London NWS INT
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Before Gregg's historic observation [1] rubella was not considered to have clinical or epidemiological importance in any country. In the western world epidemics occurred at varying intervals but with little morbidity and apparently only minor complications. Despite confirmation of Gregg's findings from many quarters, it was not until the worldwide outbreaks in the 1960s that the aftermath of rubella infection in pregnancy was fully realized. As a result of the 1964 outbreak in New York City, more than 1000 children were born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) and over 300 pregnancies either aborted spontaneously or were terminated for rubella infection [2]. The number of children affected represented 1% of births in the city; if extrapolated to the whole country this gave an estimated total of 30000 cases of CRS. No such disasters have so far been reported from the developing world.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 107 , Issue 1 , August 1991 , pp. 63 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

References

REFERENCES

1.Gregg, NMcA. Congenital cataract following german measles in the mother. Trans Opthalm Med Soc Aust 1941; 3: 35–46.Google Scholar
2.Cooper, LZ. The history and medical consequences of rubella. Rev Inf Dis 1985; 7: S2–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Sabin, AB. Perspectives on current use of some virus vaccines in the USA. Measles, rubella, poliomyelitis and influenza in the USA: contrasts in control by vaccination. Pediatr Res 1979; 13: 674–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Cradock-Watson, JE, Ridelhagh, M, Bourne, MS, Vandervelle, EM. Nasal immunoglobulin responses in acute rubella determined by immunoflorescent technique. J Hyg 1973; 71: 603–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Clarke, M, Schild, GC, Boustred, J, McGregor, IA, Williams, K. Epidemiological studies of rubella virus in a tropical African community. Bull WHO 1980; 58: 931–5.Google Scholar
6.Miller, E, Cradock-Watson, JE, Pollock, TM. Consequences of confirmed maternal rubella at successive stages of pregnancy. Lancet 1982; 2: 781–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Black, F, Bermann, LL, Borgono, JM, et al. Geographic variation in infant loss of maternal measles antibody and in prevalence of rubella antibody. Am J Epidem 1986; 124: 442–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Mingle, JAA. Frequency of rubella antibodies in the population of some African countries. Rev Inf Dis 1985; 7: S68–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Seth, P, Manjunath, N, Balaya, S. Rubella infection: the Indian scene. Rev Inf Dis 1985; 7: S64–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Schatzmayr, HG. Aspects of rubella infection in Brazil. Rev Inf dis 1985; 7: S53–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.El-Khateeb, MS, Tarawneh, MS, Hijazi, S, et al. Seroimmunity to rubella virus in Jordanians. Publ Hlth Lond 1983; 97: 204–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Odelola, HA, Familusi, JB, Akinyema, A. Rubella immunity in Nigerian children. Roy Soc Trop Hyg. 1980; 74: 743–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Strauss, J, Dobahi, SS, Danes, L, et al. Serological survey of rubella in Yemen 1985. J Hyg Epidemiol 1989; 33: 163–7.Google ScholarPubMed
14.Abdullah, MMA, Jamjoom, G, Karrar, ZA, et al. Seroepidemiology of rubella in Saudi Arabia: an adapted vaccination policy. J Epidemiol Comm Hlth 1984; 38: 236–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Gebreel, AO, Gilles, HM, Prescott, JE. Studies on the seroepidemiology of endemic disease in Libya. II rubella. Ann Trop Med Parasit 1984; 5: 519–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Fu-Jen, Yuan C, Heung-Tat, Ng. Seroepidemiologic study of rubella in Taiwan's female population. Am J Pub Hlth 1988; 78: 1366–7.Google Scholar
17.Ueda, K, Nishida, Y, Oshima, K. et al. An explanation of the high incidence of congenital rubella in Ryuku. Int J Epidemiol 1983; 12: 450–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Maqsudur, Rahman KM. Rubella epidemic in the Lauder's infant school. St Vincent. 1983. Carribean Epidemiologic Centre Surveillance Report 1983; 9: 1–5.Google Scholar
19.Nordstrom, B. Congenital rubella syndrome in Grenada. Carribean Epidemiologic Centre Surveillance Report 1983; 9: 1–5.Google Scholar
20.Owens, CS, Espino, RT. Rubella in Panama: still a problem. Pediatr Infect Dis J 1989; 8: 110–5.Google Scholar
21.Axton, JHM, Nathoo, KJ, Mbengeranwa, OL. Simultaneous measles and rubella outbreaks in an African community. Cent Afr J Med 1979; 25: 242–5.Google Scholar
22.Orenstein, WA, Bart, KJ, Hinman, AR, et al. The opportunity and obligation to eliminate rubella from the United States. J Am Med Ass 1984; 251: 1988–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Foster, A, Childhood blindness. Eye 1988; 2: S27–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Ueda, K, Tokugawa, K, Nishida, Y, Kimura, M. Incidence of congenital rubella syndrome in Japan (1965–85). Am J Epidemiol 1986; 124: 807–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Peckham, CS, Martin, JAM, Marshall, WC, Dudgeon, JA. Congenital rubella deafness: a preventable disease. Lancet 1979; 1: 258–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Menser, MA, Hudson, JR. Impact of rubella vaccination in Australia. Lancet 1984; 1: 1059–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27.Upfold, LJ. Changes in the significance of maternal rubella as a factor in childhood deafness– 1954–1982. Med J Austr 1984; 140: 641–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28.Upfold, LJ. Rubella-related deafness. Med J Austr 1988; 149: 723.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29.Galazka, A, Stroh, G. Neonatal tetanus. Guidelines on the community-based survey on neonatal tetanus mortality. WHO/EPI/GEN/86/8.Google Scholar
30.Hinman, AR, Bart, KJ, Orenstein, WA, Preblud, SR. Rational strategy for rubella vaccination. Lancet 1983; 1: 39–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31.Badenoch, J. Big bang for immunisation. Br Med J 1988; 297: 750–1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32.Appell, MW. The multihandicapped child with congenital rubella: impact on family and community. Rev Inf Dis 1985; 7: S17–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed