Prevalence of tetanus immunity in the Egyptian population

Our aim was to determine the level of tetanus immunity in the general Egyptian population. The surveyed population consisted of 709 healthy subjects from five regions of Egypt, 2 month to 105 years of age. We used an ELISA assay to determine titers of anti-tetanus IgG. According to the widely used criteria, 31.7% was susceptible to tetanus (IgG level < 0.15 IU/ml), 15.7% protection (0.15-1.0 IU/ml), and 52.6% > or = 1.0 IU/ml). The results revealed that the majority (68.3%) population from 2 months to 50 years had a protective level of IgG against tetanus. The level of susceptibility increases with age until it reaches 90.3% Significantly, more males (23.7%) unprotected against tetanus. Our results suggest that monitoring immunization status and administering the tetanus vaccine as required are essential to insure adequate and long-lasting antibody levels.