The immune status of young adult females in Ethiopia to rubella virus infection.

The results of a study on the prevalence of rubella-specific antibody among young adult females aged 14-25 years old in four cities and one district town in Ethiopia are presented. The highest prevalence of rubella antibody (97%) was found among young females in Addis Ababa in the central region of the country, followed by those in Dessie, in the north of Ethiopia, and in Awassa in the south, both of which exhibited 94% prevalence. The next highest prevalences were observed in Dire Dawa (88%), a large town in the Hararge region, and in Gambella (85%), a town in the remote western part of the country. The overall prevalence of the antibody was found to be 94%. The remaining 6% of the young adult female population are potentially susceptible to rubella virus infection. It follows that the incidence of congenital rubella infection is probably low in Ethiopia because the vast majority of the female population is immune.