Abstract
Our aim was to determine the level of tetanus immunity in the general Egyptian population. The surveyed population consisted of 709 healthy subjects from five regions of Egypt, 2 month to 105 years of age. We used an ELISA assay to determine titers of anti-tetanus IgG. According to the widely used criteria, 31.7% was susceptible to tetanus (IgG level < 0.15 IU/ml), 15.7% protection (0.15–1.0 IU/ml), and 52.6% ≥ 1.0 IU/ml). The results revealed that the majority (68.3%) population from 2 months to 50 years had a protective level of IgG against tetanus. The level of susceptibility increases with age until it reaches 90.3% Significantly, more males (23.7%) unprotected against tetanus. Our results suggest that monitoring immunization status and administering the tetanus vaccine as required are essential to insure adequate and long-lasting antibody levels.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.