Epidemiology of pertussis

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Infants and young children remain highly susceptible to pertussis (whooping cough), facing significant morbidity and mortality.
• While widespread vaccination dramatically reduced pertussis rates historically, infections have been rising since the early 1980s.
• Pertussis is now the most common vaccine-preventable disease in US children under 5, with a notable increase in cases reported in 1993.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors contributing to the resurgence of pertussis in the United States.
• To identify the primary sources of Bordetella pertussis transmission.
• To understand the role of adult populations in pertussis epidemiology.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of reported pertussis cases and vaccination rates in the United States.
• Review of studies on the prevalence of pertussis in different age groups.
• Examination of transmission dynamics within households.

Main Results:

• A growing susceptible adult population is identified as the primary driver of the current pertussis resurgence.
• Adults are increasingly diagnosed with pertussis, often presenting with persistent cough.
• Adolescents and adults are significant reservoirs for B. pertussis, transmitting the infection to unvaccinated or under-vaccinated infants and children.

Conclusions:

• The resurgence of pertussis is linked to reduced exposure-induced immunity in adults due to successful vaccination campaigns.
• Undiagnosed or inadequately treated pertussis in adults facilitates transmission to high-risk infants and young children.
• Strategies to control pertussis must address transmission from adult populations to protect vulnerable age groups.