Serologic Evidence of Measles Igm Antibodies among Children in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.

Measles remains one of the leading vaccine-preventable diseases causing childhood morbidity and mortality, particularly in low-resource settings where vaccination coverage is inadequate. The purpose of this study is to assess the serological presence of measles-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies among children residing in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and those attending febrile pediatric clinics in Benin City. A total of 160 children aged 0 to 10 years were enrolled, comprising 48 children from the IDP camp and 112 children recruited from selected health facilities. Four milliliters of blood were collected from each participant, processed to obtain serum, stored at –2°C, and later screened for measles IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) following the manufacturer’s guidelines. Measles-specific IgM antibodies were identified in 10 (6.25%) of the children. Seropositivity was higher among females (10.67%) compared to males (2.35%), and children aged 1–2 years recorded the highest seroprevalence (8.11%), followed by children less than 1 year and those older than 5 years (6.67% each), while children aged 3–5 years had the lowest seroprevalence (3.03%). Location-based analysis revealed that one child (2.08%) from the IDP camp was positive, whereas nine children (7.38%) from health facilities tested positive. The relatively lower prevalence in the IDP camp compared to health facilities may reflect the impact of targeted vaccination campaigns among displaced populations. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that measles continues to circulate among children in Benin City despite immunization efforts. Sustained vaccination coverage, improved surveillance, and focused interventions in vulnerable populations are essential to achieve measles control and eventual elimination.