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Identification of congenital rubella syndrome in Sudan
Omer Adam, Ahmed K M Ali, Judith M Hübschen
1Institute of Immunology, Centre de Recherche Public de la Santé/Laboratoire National de Santé, 20A Rue Auguste Lumière, L-1950 Luxembourg, Luxembourg. claude.muller@crp-sante.lu.
Insights
Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) was identified in infants in Sudan, where the rubella vaccine is not standard. This study highlights the need to introduce rubella vaccination to prevent future cases of CRS.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Limited epidemiological data exists on congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
- Rubella vaccination is not part of Sudan's routine childhood immunization schedule.
- This study investigated CRS in Sudanese infants with congenital anomalies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and describe cases of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in infants in Sudan.
- To assess the prevalence of rubella infection in infants with congenital eye or heart defects.
Main Methods:
- Collected paired oral fluid and dried blood spot samples from 98 infants (up to 12 months) in Khartoum, Sudan (Feb-Sep 2010).
- Screened samples for rubella IgM and IgG antibodies using ELISA.
- Performed reverse transcriptase PCR on oral fluid from IgM/IgG positive infants to detect rubella RNA.
Main Results:
- Two infants (2.0%) tested positive for rubella IgM antibodies.
- Five infants (5.1%) tested positive for rubella IgG antibodies.
- No rubella RNA was detected by PCR in available oral fluid samples.
Conclusions:
- This study confirms the presence of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Sudan.
- The findings underscore the importance of introducing the rubella vaccine.
- Vaccination is crucial for preventing future CRS cases in Sudan.
Background:
Epidemiological data about congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) are scarce and rubella vaccine is not yet included in the childhood immunization schedule in Sudan. This study aimed to identify and describe CRS cases among Sudanese infants with congenital eye or heart defects.
Methods:
Between February and September 2010, paired oral fluid and dried blood spot samples were collected from 98 infants aged up to 12 months. These infants were enrolled during their visits to five hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan. Clinical samples were screened for rubella IgM and for ≥ 6 months old infants also for IgG antibodies by ELISA. The oral fluid of IgM and/or IgG positive patients was tested for rubella RNA by reverse transcriptase PCR.
Results:
Our findings revealed that two children (2.0%) were IgM positive and another five children (5.1%) were positive for IgG antibodies. None of the five infants of which enough oral fluid was available for RNA investigation was PCR positive.
Conclusions:
This study documented the presence of CRS in Sudan and highlighted the importance of rubella vaccine introduction for preventing future CRS cases in the country.
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