Antenatal rubella serosurvey in Maputo, Mozambique

OBJECTIVE To describe the epidemiology of rubella in Mozambique. METHODS Cross-sectional serosurvey of rubella IgG antibodies among women attending antenatal clinics in Maputo in February-April 2002 to assess the prevalence and titres. RESULTS Rubella IgG antibodies were detected in 95.3% (95% confidence interval 94.0%-96.6%) of 974 pregnant women. Age and residence did not significantly affect the prevalence of rubella IgG antibodies. However, the mean titre of rubella IgG antibodies was higher in women < 20 years of age than in women >= 30 years of age (P < 0.01), and women living in urban areas had higher antibody titres than those living in suburban areas (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The seroprevalence of rubella IgG antibodies among pregnant women in Maputo is high. Whether this is due to recent exposure to wild rubella virus or to exposure to rubella virus earlier in life is unclear. Studies on the burden of congenital rubella syndrome could address this matter.