Sero-prevalence of Mumps among Unvaccinated Children Attending Regional Referral Hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Lilian Nkinda *
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Mtebe Majigo
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Neema Mkocha
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Agricola Joachim
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Eliud Buberwa
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Hubert Kairuki Memorial Hospital / Laboratory, P.O.Box 65300, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Dennis Nkinda
Hebei North University, Gaoxin District, Zhangjikou, Hibei Province, China.
Frank Msafiri
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: Mumps infection and its complication remain under recognized public health problem in Tanzania, as there are no national screening program and sero-epidemiological surveys. This makes it difficult to devise control interventions including administration of vaccinations. We therefore determined the Sero-prevalence of Mumps among Unvaccinated Children Attending Regional Referral Hospitals in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.
Study Design: A hospital based cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Outpatient departments of three regional hospitals in Dar es Salaam Tanzania: Amana, Mwananyamala, and Temeke hospitals, from March to June 2021.
Methodology: Three hundred and sixty children aged 1 - 16 years were included in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect participants' information. Serum samples were tested for mumps immunoglobulin G antibodies using an enzyme linked immune-sorbent assay. Proportions were used to describe children's social demographic and clinical characteristics, and binary logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of exposure to mumps virus. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean age was 7.6 ± 4.1, half of them were females. More than three quarters (77%) of the children had Mumps Immunoglobulin-G. Mumps sero-prevalence among under-fives was 58.8%, among 5-8 years was 80%, 9-12 years was 86% and for 13-16 year was 88%. Compared to under-fives, children in the ages of 5-8, 9-12 and 13-16 had four times.
(OR 4.19 95% CI 1.49-11.7), five times (OR 5.84 95% CI 1.89-18.12) and six times (OR 6.00 95% CI 1.63-21.43) higher odd of mumps exposure respectively. The number of siblings in the house, going to school, and previous history of parotid gland enlargement were not associated with mumps sero-positivity.
Conclusion: The mumps virus is circulating in a high proportion among children in Dar es Salaam and the likelihood of exposure increases with age.
Keywords: Antibody, mumps, protective antibody titer, sero-prevalence, vaccine