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. 2019;8(1):1711-1720.
doi: 10.1080/22221751.2019.1694395.

Population dynamics and antigenic drift of Bordetella pertussis following whole cell vaccine replacement, Barcelona, Spain, 1986-2015

Alba Mir-Cros  1   2 , Albert Moreno-Mingorance  1   2 , M Teresa Martín-Gómez  1 , Gema Codina  1 , Thais Cornejo-Sánchez  1 , Mireia Rajadell  1   2 , Diego Van Esso  3 , Carlos Rodrigo  4 , Magda Campins  5 , Mireia Jané  6 , Tomàs Pumarola  1   2 , Anna Fàbrega  1   7 , Juan José González-López  1   2
Affiliations

Population dynamics and antigenic drift of Bordetella pertussis following whole cell vaccine replacement, Barcelona, Spain, 1986-2015

Alba Mir-Cros et al. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2019.

Abstract

Among the factors associated with the resurgence of whooping cough, special emphasis has been given to pathogen adaptation after the introduction of the acellular vaccine (ACV). To assess the impact of the vaccine transition strategy from whole-cell vaccine (WCV) to ACV on population dynamics of Bordetella pertussis in Barcelona (Spain), we studied 339 isolates collected from 1986 to 2015 by PFGE and multi-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Additionally, allelic variants for the pertussis toxin and its promoter, pertactin, type 3 fimbriae and fimbrial serotyping were assessed to determine its antigenic drift. A shift was observed in the B. pertussis population as well as in its antigenic profile concurrently with the introduction of ACV in Barcelona. Four out of the five most prevalent PFGE profiles were replaced by new profiles following the ACV introduction. MLVA type 27 was the dominant genotype, and its frequency increased from 25% to 79.3% after WCV replacement. Antigen typing demonstrated the emergence of prn2, ptxP3, fim3-2 and a shift from the fimbriae 3 to the fimbriae 2 serotypes after the ACV introduction. Our findings support the presence of population and antigenic dynamic changes in B. pertussis likely driven by the introduction of ACV.

Keywords: MLVA; PFGE; Whooping cough; antigenic variants; pertussis vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Temporal distribution of PFGE profiles of B. pertussis circulating in the metropolitan area of Barcelona from 1986 to 2015. WCV: Whole cell vaccine; ACV: Acellular vaccine; Bold-face type is used to indicate epidemic years.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
MLVA types of B. pertussis circulating in the metropolitan area of Barcelona from 1986 to 2015. WCV: Whole cell vaccine; ACV: Acellular vaccine.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Antigen variants detected in B. pertussis circulating in the metropolitan area of Barcelona from 1986 to 2015. (A) Pertussis toxin. (B) Pertussis toxin promoter type. (C) Pertactin. (D) Type 3 fimbriae. P1: exclusive use of whole cell vaccine; P2: transition from whole cell vaccine to acellular vaccine; P3: exclusive use of acellular vaccine.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Temporal evolution of the most prevalent antigenic profiles observed in B. pertussis circulating in the metropolitan area of Barcelona from 1986 to 2015. Period 1: exclusive use of whole cell vaccine; Period 2: transition from whole cell vaccine to acellular vaccine; Period 3: exclusive use of acellular vaccine.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Evolution of fimbrial serotypes in B. pertussis isolates circulating in the metropolitan area of Barcelona from 1986 to 2015. WCV: Whole cell vaccine; ACV: Acellular vaccine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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