Preliminary Report of Seroprevalence of Anti-Measles Immunoglobulin G among Healthcare Workers of 6 Teaching Hospitals of Daegu, Korea in 2019

Hyun Ha Chang; Shin Woo Kim; Ki Tae Kwon; Hye In Kim; Min Jung Kim; Seong Yeol Ryu; Hyun Ah Kim; Jian Hur; Hyun Hee Kwon; Hyo Lim Hong

doi:10.3947/ic.2019.51.1.54

Preliminary Report of Seroprevalence of Anti-Measles Immunoglobulin G among Healthcare Workers of 6 Teaching Hospitals of Daegu, Korea in 2019

Infect Chemother. 2019 Mar;51(1):54-57. doi: 10.3947/ic.2019.51.1.54.

Authors

Hyun Ha Chang¹, Shin Woo Kim², Ki Tae Kwon³, Hye In Kim⁴, Min Jung Kim⁴, Seong Yeol Ryu⁵, Hyun Ah Kim⁵, Jian Hur⁶, Hyun Hee Kwon⁷, Hyo Lim Hong⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea. [email protected].
² Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
⁴ Department of Infectious Disease, Daegu Fatima Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
⁵ Department of Infectious Disease, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Korea.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University Medical Center, Daegu, Korea.
⁷ Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

Abstract

The measles outbreak in Daegu of January 2019 made 6 teaching hospitals' organization test the measles immunity of their healthcare workers (HCWs). We found that 6,935 (75.9%) of 9,132 HCWs tested seropositive for anti-measles immunoglobulin G (IgG), and seropositivity rate was very different between 6 hospitals (range, 59.9-93.1%). The seroprevelence was lowest in the age of twenties, but the rate was different between 6 hospitals (range 47.0-85.5%). Therefore, to prevent measles from spreading to HCWs, each hospital should make their own data periodically about anti-measles IgG seropositivity of their HCWs.

Keywords: Health personnel; Measles; Seroprevalence.

Grants and funding

Public Health Division, Daegu Metropolitan City/Korea