Ten-year analysis of the epidemiologic characteristics of whooping cough in Kyrgyzstan

Although whooping cough is vaccine-preventable, its incidence is increasing globally, including in Kyrgyzstan.

To investigate the epidemiologic characteristics of whooping cough among children in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

We collected and analysed data on 802 children aged 0-14 years, clinically diagnosed with whooping cough, and admitted at the Republican Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from February 2014 to February 2024.

Polymerase chain reaction test of the respiratory samples confirmed all the children positive for Bordetella pertussis. There was no case of Bordetella parapertussis. We observed a distinct cyclical pattern of the incidence of whooping cough during the 10-year period, with a significant peak in 2018. Between 2021 and 2023, the majority (60.0%) of cases occurred among infants <1 year old. Among the children, 58.7% were not vaccinated, while 41.3% had incomplete diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccination. Severe cases were common among infants with comorbidities such as anaemia and hypoxia.

Our findings show that whooping cough incidence is increasing among children in Bishkek. There is therefore a need to strengthen prevention efforts, including public awareness and education, childhood immunisation and maternal vaccination, and intensify detection, diagnosis and isolation to reduce transmission.