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Increased rubella antibody titres have been reported in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and it has been suggested that rubella virus may be of importance in the aetiology or pathogenesis of the disease. In the present study, rubella and rubeola antibody titres in 85 patients with JRA were compared to age- and sex-matched controls. 41% of the patients did not have rubella antibody, but the geometric mean titre of those with JRA who had antibody was slightly higher than that of the controls with antibody (58-9 against 42-7; P less than 0-05). The level of rubella antibody titre correlated with serum IgG levels. There was no difference in rubeola antibody titres between patients and controls, and rubeola antibody did not correlate with serum IgG. Fifteen JRA patients developed rubella antibody after rubella vaccine or natural disease. This did not result in unusually high antibody titres and was associated with a mild exacerbation of symptoms in only two patients. This study suggests that the slight increase in rubella antibody in JRA is a nonspecific manifestation of increased immunoglobulins.

Analysis of paired sera from 48 wastewater workers and controls who reported gastrointestinal illness did not reveal any excess of seroconversions to Norwalk agent or to rotavirus. Inexperienced wastewater-exposed workers had higher levels of antibody to Norwalk agent than did experienced and control workers and those with high and medium aerosol exposure had higher titres than those in the low aerosol category. Analysis for Prototheca antibody titres was essentially negative.

A serologic survey for rubella and measles immunity was conducted to determine the immunity levels among a nonurban, relatively isolated pediatric population. Among 1,273 students in grades kindergarten through 9, the overall susceptibility rate was 24.3% for rubella and 16.3% for measles. There was significant variation in susceptibility rates among the various grades and schools involved. The susceptibility rates were similar to those found for urban populations. The results indicated that vaccination efforts for the population have been partially successful, but additional effort was needed.

To evaluate the risk to nurses of childbearing age of acquiring cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during the care of patients at high risk of the infection, 374 female hospital employees (288 nursing personnel) were interviewed and screened for antibody to CMV. Fifty-six percent of the population surveyed had antibody to CMV as measured by an immunofluorescent assay. Among nursing personnel, analysis of antibody prevalence by job title, work area, and duration of work showed no association between seropositivity and either current or past exposure to "high-risk" patients, such as infants and immunosuppressed individuals. Age, race (non-white), and the number of pregnancies reported by participants were significantly associated with the presence of antibody. Among 73 employees of a children's hospital, the prevalence of CMV antibody was 41%. This survey suggests that hospital nursing is not a major risk factor for acquiring CMV infection. However, this finding needs further evaluation in a prospective study of seroconversion rates among seronegative nurses.

Measles immunity was studied in children in a private pediatric practice who had been revaccinated because they had received their primary measles vaccination before 1 year of age. Antibody was measured in 72 of these children who had received the first injection of live measles virus vaccine at less than 10 months of age, and the second at greater than 1 year of age. Of the 72 children, 29 (40%) had no detectable antibody and the geometric mean titer for the group was approximately 1:4. Of the children with low antibody titers, 15 were given a third injection of measles vaccine and five (33%) still did not respond. Cell-mediated immunity as indicated by lymphocyte transformation to measles antigen was measured in 11 of the children. Five (45%) had responses to measles antigen, but the responses did not correlate with the presence or absence of antibody. This study confirms the observation that revaccination is unsuccessful in many children who received measles vaccine in the first year of life, and shows that even a third injection of vaccine may fail to produce a significant antibody response.