Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jan 14;20(1):43.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-019-4680-1.

Pertussis in infants, in their mothers and other contacts in Casablanca, Morocco

Khalid Katfy  1   2 , Idrissa Diawara  3   4   5 , Fakhredine Maaloum  3   4 , Siham Aziz  4 , Nicole Guiso  6 , Hassan Fellah  7 , Bouchra Slaoui  8 , Khalid Zerouali  3   4 , Houria Belabbes  3   4 , Naima Elmdaghri  3   4
Affiliations

Pertussis in infants, in their mothers and other contacts in Casablanca, Morocco

Khalid Katfy et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: In recent decades, there has been a marked increase in the number of reported cases of pertussis around the world, and pertussis continues to be a frequently occurring disease despite an effective childhood vaccination. This study aims to determine the role of household contacts of children diagnosed with pertussis in Casablanca Morocco.

Methods: From November 2015 to October 2017, children suspected of whooping cough that consulted Ibn Rochd University hospital at Casablanca with their household contacts were enrolled in the study. Nasopharyngeal (NP) samples of the suspected children were analyzed by culture and RT-PCR. For the household contacts, NP and blood samples were collected and analyzed by RT-PCR and specific detection of pertussis toxin antibodies by ELISA, respectively.

Results: During the study period, the survey was carried out on 128 infants hospitalized for pertussis suspicion and their families (N = 140). B. pertussis DNA was specifically detected in 73 (57%) samples, coexistence of B. pertussis and B. parapertussis DNA in 3 (2.3%) samples, coexistence of B. pertussis and B. holmesii DNA in 10 (7.81%) and only one (0.78%) sample was IS 481 RT-PCR positive without the possibility of determining the Bordetella species with the diagnostic tools used. Confirmations of Pertussis infection in household contacts by culture, RT- PCR and serology were 10, 46 and 39%, respectively. B. pertussis DNA was confirmed in the infants as well in their mothers in 38% of the cases. Co detection of B. pertussis and B. parapertussis DNA in 2% and co-detection of B. pertussis and B. holmesii DNA in 4%. B. holmesii DNA alone was detected in 5 NP samples of index cases and their mothers.

Conclusions: The results of this study confirm that B. pertussis is still circulating in children and adults, and were likely a source of pertussis contamination in infants still not vaccinated. The use of RT-PCR specific for B. pertussis in the diagnosis of adults is less sensitive and should be associated with serologic tests to improve diagnosis of pertussis and contributes to preventing transmission of the disease in infants.

Keywords: Anti-PT IgG/IgA; B. Parapertussis; B. holmesii; Household contacts; Pertussis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Interpretation of the results according to the IgG/IgA antibody profile in patient serum [19]
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Results of confirming the diagnosis of pertussis in infants and household contacts
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Results of pertussis in infants and their mothers
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Results of pertussis in infants and their mothers according the different methods
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hartzell JD, Blaylock JM. Whooping cough in 2014 and beyond: an update and review. Chest. 2014;146:205–214. doi: 10.1378/chest.13-2942. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, editors. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s principles and practice of infectious diseases. 8. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders; 2015.
    1. Cherry JD. Epidemic pertussis in 2012 — the resurgence of a vaccine-preventable disease. N Engl J Med. 2012;367:785–787. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1209051. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Organization WH. Laboratory Manual for the diagnosis of whooping cough caused by bordetella pertussis. http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/127891 (2014). Accessed 4 Jan 2018.
    1. Godoy P, García-Cenoz M, Toledo D, Carmona G, Caylà JA, et al. Factors influencing the spread of pertussis in households: a prospective study, Catalonia and Navarre, Spain, 2012 to 2013. Eurosurveillance; 21. Epub ahead of print 10 November 2016. 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.45.30393. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms