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Infections with rubella and cytomegalovirus occur world-widely and are the commonest causes of prenatal infections accompained after with a severe consequence. Hence, in female just before child-bearing age the determination of antibodies aganist these virus is important. There is a great need for a simple assay which can be carried out on a large scale for the detection of rubella and cytomegalovirus antibodies, since the existing methods such as complement fixation test andmany manipulations of the sera. In recent years the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)thchnique has come into use in virus serology. The ELISA test showed the following advantages: there are no disturbances caused either anticomplementary properties of the serum or by non specific inhibitors, as is the case with thw complement fixation test and hemagglutination test. The sera require no pretreatment, and the isage of equipments available for the microtiter technique makes it possible to carry out the test quickly and economocally. This was a preliminary study to evaluate the immune status of female just before childbearing age in Korea. The samples were taken from 46 females, aged 12 to 13 years, on March, 1982 at Chong-Am junior high school located in Seoul. Detection of antibodies to rubella and cytomegalovirus were conducted by ELISA and then immune status was analyzed. The results of this are summarized as follows. 1. Antibody against rubella virus was found in 76.1% of schoolgirls tested. 2. Antibody against cytomegalovirus was found in 65.2% of schoolgirls tested. 3. Antibody against both viruses was found in 47.8% of schoolgirls tested. 4. Of schoolgirls tested 6.5% possessed neither rubella nor cytomegalovirus antibodies.
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