PREVALENCE OF NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY TO RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS INSERA FROM MOTHERS AND NEWBORNS RESIDING IN THE GAMBIA AND IN THE UNITED-STATES

The prevalence of maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-neutraliz ing antibodies has been documented in developed countries, but there i s little information from developing countries. We assessed the preval ence of RSV-neutralizing antibody in sera from Gambian women and their newborns and compared them with their American counterparts during a similar period. The geometric mean titers of maternal antibodies to RS V subgroup A in the two populations were similar, while titers of anti bodies to RSV subgroup B in Gambian mothers were significantly higher (8.7 +/- 1.4 versus 7.9 +/- 1.3 [mean +/- standard deviation], P < 0.0 01). The titers of neutralizing antibody in newborns in both populatio ns correlated with the neutralizing-antibody titers of their mothers. Thus, the status of neutralizing antibody to both major RSV subgroups was comparable among infants and mothers in a developing country, The Gambia, and those in a developed country, the United States.