Diphtheria Antitoxin Levels in the Netherlands: a Population-Based Study
In a population-based study in the Netherlands, diphtheria antitoxin antibodies were measured with a toxin-binding inhibition assay in 9,134 sera from the general population and religious communities refusing vaccination. The Dutch immunization program appears to induce long-term protection against diphtheria. However, a substantial number of adults born before the program was introduced had no protective diphtheria antibody levels. Although herd immunity seems adequate, long-term population protection cannot be assured. As more than 60% of orthodox reformed persons have antibody levels lower... Mehr ...
| Verfasser: | |
|---|---|
| Dokumenttyp: | Artikel |
| Erscheinungsdatum: | 1999 |
| Reihe/Periodikum: | Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol 5, Iss 5, Pp 694-700 (1999) |
| Verlag/Hrsg.: |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
|
| Schlagwörter: | the Netherlands / Medicine / R / Infectious and parasitic diseases / RC109-216 |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Permalink: | https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-29588425 |
| Datenquelle: | BASE; Originalkatalog |
| Powered By: | BASE |
| Link(s) : | https://doi.org/10.3201/eid0505.990511 |
In a population-based study in the Netherlands, diphtheria antitoxin antibodies were measured with a toxin-binding inhibition assay in 9,134 sera from the general population and religious communities refusing vaccination. The Dutch immunization program appears to induce long-term protection against diphtheria. However, a substantial number of adults born before the program was introduced had no protective diphtheria antibody levels. Although herd immunity seems adequate, long-term population protection cannot be assured. As more than 60% of orthodox reformed persons have antibody levels lower than 0.01 IU/ml, introduction of diphtheria into religious communities refusing vaccination may constitute a danger of spread of the bacterium.