Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes
01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

7.9K

Mumps outbreak and MMR IgG surveillance as a predictor for immunity in military trainees

Lindsey E Nielsen1, Devin C Kelly2, Janelle Gyorffy3

  • 1Department of Pathology and Area Laboratory Services, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.

Vaccine
|September 9, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Mumps IgG antibody levels do not reliably indicate immunity, even before infection. This study highlights the need for better laboratory tests to confirm immunity against mumps and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Mumps outbreaks can occur in populations with presumed immunity.
  • Serological markers like IgG are often used to assess vaccine-induced immunity.
  • The reliability of serology for confirming immunity requires ongoing evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the diagnostic utility of mumps serology during an outbreak.
  • To evaluate pre-outbreak immunity levels against measles, mumps, and rubella in service members.
  • To determine if serological markers can predict immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Case evaluation using mumps IgG, IgM, viral culture, PCR, and sequencing.
  • Analysis of pre-outbreak serum samples from the Department of Defense (DoD) Serum Repository.
  • Determination of measles, mumps, and rubella IgG seronegativity rates.

Main Results:

  • Seven cases of mumps infection were confirmed, with some having pre-existing IgG levels.
  • Sequencing identified the mumps genotype G strain.
  • Significant percentages of service members were seronegative for mumps (12.3%), measles (20.2%), and rubella (9.7%).

Conclusions:

  • Mumps serology is not a reliable indicator of immunity.
  • Pre-existing IgG levels do not guarantee protection against infection.
  • Improved laboratory correlates are needed to accurately confirm immunity to mumps and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Keywords:
IgG TiterMMR vaccineMeaslesMumpsRubella

More Related Videos

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index06:55

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index

Published on: January 8, 2020

15.1K
A New Technique for Treating Low-risk Prostate Cancer—Super Active Surveillance05:19

A New Technique for Treating Low-risk Prostate Cancer—Super Active Surveillance

Published on: November 7, 2025

681

Related Concept Videos

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...
7.9K
Transcytosis of IgG01:15

Transcytosis of IgG

Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
4.1K
Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index06:55

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index

When randomized controlled trials are not feasible, a comprehensive health care data source like the Military Health System Data Repository provides an attractive alternative for retrospective analyses. Incorporating mortality data from the national death index and balancing differences between groups using propensity weighting helps reduce biases inherent in retrospective...
15.1K
Principles of Disease Surveillance01:26

Principles of Disease Surveillance

Disease surveillance is the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data essential to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. This process integrates data dissemination to entities responsible for preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. Surveillance systems provide crucial information for action, helping public health authorities make informed decisions to manage and prevent outbreaks, ensure public safety, optimize...
473
A New Technique for Treating Low-risk Prostate Cancer—Super Active Surveillance05:19

A New Technique for Treating Low-risk Prostate Cancer—Super Active Surveillance

Overtreatment is often administered to patients with low-risk prostate cancer; super-active surveillance can help avoid such...
681
Biocontained Carcass Composting for Control of Infectious Disease Outbreak in Livestock14:34

Biocontained Carcass Composting for Control of Infectious Disease Outbreak in Livestock

Using readily available materials, this biocontained composting system enables effective on-site disposal of large animal carcasses arising in the event of infectious disease outbreak. This procedure kills most infectious agents in carcasses and contaminated manure. Once infectious agent is confirmed non-viable, mature compost can be spread as...
11.3K