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Bordetella pertussis infection in paediatric healthcare workers

K S A Cunegundes1, M I de Moraes-Pinto1, T N Takahashi1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

The Journal of Hospital Infection
|April 28, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Recent pertussis (whooping cough) is rising in adults. Healthcare workers, especially medical residents and those working long hours, face a higher risk of infection.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Pertussis (whooping cough) incidence is increasing in adults.
  • Healthcare workers (HCWs) are a potential transmission risk to vulnerable infants.
  • Understanding pertussis prevalence in HCWs is crucial for infant protection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence of recent pertussis infection among HCWs in a Brazilian tertiary care hospital.
  • To identify risk factors associated with pertussis infection in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving 388 HCWs from a pediatric department.
  • Serum pertussis toxin IgG antibodies measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  • Statistical analysis to determine odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) for risk factors.

Main Results:

  • 6.4% of HCWs exhibited serological evidence of recent pertussis infection.
  • Medical residents had a significantly increased risk (OR: 4.15).
  • HCWs working over 40 hours per week also showed a higher risk (OR: 3.29).

Conclusions:

  • A notable proportion of HCWs have recent pertussis, posing a potential risk to infants.
  • Work-related factors, including long hours and resident status, are associated with increased infection risk.
  • Targeted prevention strategies for HCWs may be necessary to curb pertussis transmission.

Keywords:
Healthcare workersInfectionPertussisSerology

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