[Congenital rubella syndrome in infants treated at a pediatrics hospital]. / Síndrome de rubéola congénita en lactantes atendidos en un hospital pediátrico.

UNLABELLED: Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) has been considered an uncommon problem in Mexico. OBJECTIVE: To analyze and describe clinical features of CRS cases in infants from a pediatric hospital in Mexico City during an 8 year period. DESIGN: retrospective study. Patients younger than 18 months of age with a positive serologic test for IgG and IgM rubella antibodies were included. Antibodies were measured by an immunoenzymatic microparticles assay. RESULTS: Fifty-six cases were identified, 42 complete clinical records were available for review. Of these, 23 (54.7%) were female and 19 (45.3%) male. Median for age was five months. A total of 9/42 mothers (21%) had history of rash during pregnancy. IgM antibodies were detected in 15 infants and IgG in 27. Major manifestations were ocular (74%), neurologic (66%), and congenital heart disease (67%). Congenital cataracts were detected in 69%, in 52% hepatomegaly, in 43% jaundice, in 40% anemia, in 48% thrombocytopenia, and hearing loss 19%. CONCLUSION: Five confirmed cases with CRS per year in one hospital indicate a high frequency. Only a small percentage of women had a history of rash during pregnancy. CRS must be investigated in infants with ocular, neurologic, and congenital heart diseases.

Susceptibility to varicella-zoster infection in individuals 1 to 29 years of age in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection has been poorly studied in Latin America. The aim of this work was to study the seroprevalence of antibody to VZV infection in Mexico. Infection was determined in 3,737 individuals. METHODS: Samples were collected during a national serologic survey performed during 1987-1988 and represented individuals 1- to 29-years-old from all socioeconomic levels and from rural and urban communities throughout the country. Antibodies anti-VZV were measured with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (VARELISA Merck, Germany). RESULTS: In the population studied, 464 individuals (12.4%) were seronegative or susceptible to infection, whereas about 17.0% of individuals 1- to 19-years-old were susceptible to infection. Between the ages of 20 to 24 years, 8.4% were susceptible and between 25 to 29 years, 5.0% of persons were still susceptible to infection. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic level, density of population, crowding, and gender were not found as risk factors for susceptibility to VZV infection in adolescents and young adults. Low educational level was found as a risk factor for susceptibility. High proportions of adolescents and young adults in Mexico are susceptible to VZV infection and should receive special attention when designing vaccination programs.

[The seroepidemiology of rubella in Mexican women. A national probability survey]. / Seroepidemiología de la rubéola en mujeres mexicanas. Encuesta nacional probabilística.

A rubella seroepidemiologic survey was carried out in a rural population to better understand the epidemiology of this infections disease in Mexico. 24,331 serum samples from women between 10 and 44 years old were collected during 1987-1988 from the 32 federal states. Samples were tested for Rubella Antibodies by use of hemagglutination inhibition with a titer 1:8 bring considered as positive; 79.96 per cent (CI 95%, 7.5-80.5%) of women were seropositive, seropositivity increased with age, from 69.26 per cent in the age group of 10 to 14 years old, to 87.84 per cent in the 40-44 age group. Seropositivity rates were lower in southern states than in northern states and, higher in urban areas that rural areas (82.4 vs 76.6%); statistical significative difference in seropositivity rates were found between girls less than 14 years of age in urban areas as compared to rural areas (74.7 vs 63.6%). Seropositivity rates were related to socioeconomic status only when high status group were compared lower status group (82.5 vs 77%). In addition, we observed a significative trend of increasing seropositivity as level of school education increased. In comparison to the 1974 national survey, this seroepidemiological survey showed a decreased seropositivity for all age groups, even with an increase in the number of susceptible women, particularly in the group less than 20 years old. This study offers seroepidemiologic information about rubella at a national and regional level.