Investigation of tetanus seropositivity levels in adult patients with rabies risk exposure admitted to a hospital in Ankara

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to assess tetanus seropositivity levels among adult patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital following rabies risk exposure, and to explore potential factors influencing their immunological status.

Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive epidemiological study included 182 adult individuals (68 females and 114 males) who presented to the hospital following rabies risk exposure. The demographic data was collected during a face-to-face interview, and the tetanus antibody concentrations were assessed using a micro-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Serum antibody levels of ≥ 0.1 IU/mL were defined as “seropositive”, while values below this threshold were considered “seronegative”.

Results: Seropositivity was identified in 81.9% of the patients. There was a significant decline in antibody levels with age (p < 0.001). The Spearman correlation analysis showed a moderately significant negative correlation between age and antibody titers (r = – 0.404, p < 0.001). In addition, there were significantly higher tetanus antibody levels in patients from urban areas, those vaccinated during pregnancy, and those vaccinated within the past 10 years (p = 0.025, 0.036, and 0.013, respectively).

Conclusions: Overall, the results highlight a reduction in tetanus antibody levels with age, emphasizing the importance of receiving a booster dose every 10 years. In addition, rabies risk exposure, particularly in older adults, presents a valuable opportunity to administer tetanus vaccination.