Laboratory diagnosis of measles infection is rarely performed in developing countries and tends to depend on clinical symptoms alone. We evaluated detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies for confirmation of acute measles infection in Zambia. In 149 hospitalized children with clinical diagnosis of measles, IgM antibodies were detected in 88.6% (132/149). The IgM‐positive rate increased with time after onset of skin rash and all samples were positive after 4 days. In addition to IgM antibody test, virus isolations from throat swabs using B95a cells were also performed. These were positive in only 20.9% (14/67), and both IgM and virus isolation in combination increased the positive rate to 92.5% (62/67). Vaccinated children had higher neutralizing (Nt) antibody responses and, among IgM‐negative patients, all 4 vaccinated children had high Nt antibodies while all 10 unvaccinated children had negative or low Nt results. The IgM antibody test was proved to be a sensitive method for laboratory confirmation of measles virus infection in developing countries.

Journal Article Prevalence of hepatitis B antigens in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 seropositive and seronegative pregnant women in Zambia Get access H. Oshitani, H. Oshitani ∗ 1Virus Research Centre, Sendai National Hospital, Sendai, Japan ∗Address for correspondence: H. Oshitani, MD, Sendai National Hospital, Virus Research Centre, 2-8-8 Miyagino-ku, Sendai, 983, Japan; fax +81 22 291 8114. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar F.C. Kasolo, F.C. Kasolo 2Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar M. Mpabalwani, M. Mpabalwani 2Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar K. Mizuta, K. Mizuta 2Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar N.P. Luo, N.P. Luo 2Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar H. Suzuki, H. Suzuki 1Virus Research Centre, Sendai National Hospital, Sendai, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Y. Numazaki Y. Numazaki 1Virus Research Centre, Sendai National Hospital, Sendai, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 90, Issue 3, May-June 1996, Pages 235–236, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0035-9203(96)90227-8 Published: 01 June 1996 Article history Received: 30 August 1995 Revision received: 12 December 1995 Accepted: 02 January 1996 Published: 01 June 1996

The clinical and epidemiological aspects of rotavirus diarrhoea were studied in hospitalized children with acute diarrhoea in Lusaka, Zambia. Two hundred and fifty-six (24.0%) of 1069 children admitted to the study were shedding rotavirus. The rotavirus-positive rate was highest in children less than 1 year of age (37.0%) and it was also high in those less than 6 months old. Rotavirus diarrhoea was seen throughout the year with a higher rotavirus-positive rate in the dry season. In rotavirus-positive diarrhoea patients, more children were dehydrated (82.4%) than in the rotavirus-negative group (56.2%). Rotavirus infection was more common in the children with normal nutritional status (27.6%, 162/588) than in those with malnutrition (19.3%, 93/482). The associated case fatality rate in the rotavirus-positive group was 6.4%, significantly less than in the rotavirus-negative group (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24-0.79), and mortality cases were seen only in children less than 2 years old.

A 2-year hospital-based survey of measles infections were carried out at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka, Zambia from January 1992 to December 1993. During this period, a total of 1066 children with a clinical diagnosis of measles were admitted to the paediatric isolation ward at UTH. Measles cases were seen throughout both 1992 and 1993. However, there was a peak from September to December, 1992. The number of cases decreased with age, and 370 (34.7%) were under 1 year old. It is noteworthy that 203 (19.0%) were less than the 9 months of age which is the recommended time for measles vaccination in Zambia. The overall case fatality rate was 12.6%, and was higher in children aged 0-3 years (14.3%) than in those aged 4 years and above (6.7%). Measles vaccination status could be checked from the child's immunization card for 343 measles cases over 9 months of age, 118 (34.4%) of these having previously received measles vaccine. Vaccinated children had a significantly lower case fatality rate (6.4%) than the unvaccinated group (17.0%). This suggests that while measles vaccine cannot prevent infection, it can reduce the severity of infection.

Journal Article Low prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in Lusaka, Zambia Get access H. Oshitani, H. Oshitani 1Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Address for correspondence: H. Oshitani, MD, Virus Research Centre, Sendai National Hospital, 2-8-8 Miyagino Miyagino-ku, Sendai, 983, Japan. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar F. Kasolo, F. Kasolo 1Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar N.P. Luo, N.P. Luo 1Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar M. Mpabalwani, M. Mpabalwani 1Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar K. Mizuta, K. Mizuta 1Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar N. Numata, N. Numata 2Department of Microbiology, Sendai Municipal Institute of Public Health, Sendai, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar H. Suzuki, H. Suzuki 3Virus Research Centre, Sendai National Hospital, Sendai, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Y. Numazamki Y. Numazamki 3Virus Research Centre, Sendai National Hospital, Sendai, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 89, Issue 4, July-August 1995, Page 380, https://doi.org/10.1016/0035-9203(95)90017-9 Published: 01 August 1995 Article history Received: 12 December 1994 Accepted: 17 January 1995 Published: 01 August 1995

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers was studied in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Zambia. A total of 2,098 pregnant women were recruited into the study at three urban health centres in Lusaka, the capital city and four district hospitals in rural areas of different provinces of Zambia. The overall prevalence of HBsAg was 6.5% (137/2,098), and HBeAg was present in 16.1% (22/137) of those positive for HBsAg. Antibody positive rate (HBsAb and/or HBcAb) was 51.3% in randomly selected HBsAg negative samples. HBsAg positive rate varied between 3.3% and 13.6% in each study sites. Prevalence for both HBsAg and antibodies to HBV were significantly higher in rural areas (district hospitals) than in urban areas (urban health centres in Lusaka). These data show that although HBV is endemic in Zambia, the prevalence varies from region to region.

In Lusaka, Zambia, rotavirus (RV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection commonly coexist; 132 (25%) of 537 consecutively studied infants < 5 years old hospitalized with diarrhea were positive for both viral infections. Infants with RV infection were younger than those who were RV-negative (P > .05), and infants with both viruses more frequently experienced dehydration (P < .05). HIV-infected children more often exhibited respiratory symptoms on admission to the study (P < .0001) and were more frequently underweight (P < .0001) than were HIV-negative children, independent of RV infection. The mortality rate was highest in HIV-positive infants (P < .05), and coinfection with RV did not increase the risk of fatality. This study demonstrates that while RV and HIV infections commonly coexist in one region of Africa, RV infection is no more common nor is the illness more severe in HIV-positive infants.