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Outbreak of Rubella Among Cadets in an Academy
A Banerjee1, A K Sahni2, R M Gupta3
1Associate Professor (PSM), DY Patil Medical College, Pune.
Background:
Rubella is traditionally considered a childhood disease, but has the potential to cause outbreaks in closed community of young adults. The present paper describes one such outbreak in a military training establishment.
Method:
The cases of rubella outbreak were identified by clinical features (fever, rash and lymphadenopathy) and confirmed by detection of high titre of anti-rubella IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Initial serum samples were also tested for antibodies against measles, scrub typhus and dengue. Salient epidemiological features of the outbreak were studied.
Result:
163 cadets were admitted in the local military hospital within two months. The cases presented with fever, coryza, lymphadenopathy and maculopapular rash. 117 (71.78%) of the samples showed presence of anti-rubella IgM antibodies.
Conclusion:
Rubella outbreaks in military communities have the potential to adversely affect military training/operations. The need for administration of vaccination against rubella in such population may be reviewed.
