Anti-measles IgM in healthy adult Nigerians

Measles is a common and serious disease of children in Nigeria. In the present study sera from healthy adult Nigerians were titrated for anti-measles haemagglutination inhibiting antibody, and for levels of anti-measles HI IgM antibody. Of those tested, 43.6% showed anti-measles antibody activity without specific IgM, while 30.8% showed both total antibody and specific IgM activity. The presence of anti-measles IgM implies recent contact with the virus. The implication of such recent subclinical infections of adults in the transmission of the virus to susceptible children is discussed.