ABSTRACT
As part of an enhanced surveillance programme for pertussis in England and Wales, a real-time PCR service for the detection of Bordetella pertussis was introduced for infants aged Subject(s)
Polymerase Chain Reaction
, Whooping Cough/diagnosis
, Whooping Cough/epidemiology
, Adolescent
, Adult
, Aged
, Bordetella/isolation & purification
, Child
, Child, Preschool
, England/epidemiology
, Humans
, Infant
, Middle Aged
, Sensitivity and Specificity
, Time Factors
, Wales/epidemiology
, Young Adult
ABSTRACT
The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of detectable antipertussis antibodies (anti-PT) and recent pertussis infection in a representative sample (n=508) of pregnant women in Catalonia (Spain). Antipertussis (PT) antibodies were determined in cord blood samples using an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. The prevalence of detectable anti-PT levels was 72.8% and the prevalence of recent pertussis infection in mothers (cord blood anti-PT level of > or = 195 EU/mL was 1.8%. The (P<0.05) and the prevalence of recent pertussis infection decreased with maternal age (P< 0.01). Results obtained in this study show that it might be necessary to develop a pertussis vaccination program using acellular pertussis vaccines aimed at pregnant women to reduce the risk of pertussis infection during pregnancy and in neonates.
