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. 2024 Jun;29(23):2400301.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.23.2400301.

Pertussis outbreak in neonates and young infants across Italy, January to May 2024: implications for vaccination strategies

Marco Poeta  1   2 , Cristina Moracas  2   3 , Chiara Albano  4 , Laura Petrarca  5 , Marco Maglione  6 , Luca Pierri  7 , Maurizio Carta  8 , Paolo Montaldo  9 , Elisabetta Venturini  10 , Maia De Luca  11 , Danilo Buonsenso  12 , Ilaria Brambilla  13 , Vania Giacomet  14 , Andrea Lo Vecchio  1   2 , Eugenia Bruzzese  1   2 , Fabio Midulla  5 , Claudia Colomba  15   4 , Alfredo Guarino  1   2
Affiliations

Pertussis outbreak in neonates and young infants across Italy, January to May 2024: implications for vaccination strategies

Marco Poeta et al. Euro Surveill. 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Since January 2024, Italy experiences a pertussis outbreak, primarily affecting neonates and unvaccinated infants at high risk of severe complications and mortality; 11 major paediatric centres noted 108 hospitalisations and three deaths by 10 May. The outbreak reflects increased circulation of Bordetella pertussis and non-adherence to immunisation recommendations during pregnancy. Public health interventions, including maternal immunisation, vaccination of infants as early as possible and post-exposure prophylaxis, are critical for reducing the burden of pertussis and preventing further mortality.

Keywords: Bordetella pertussis; Whooping cough; epidemic; infants; maternal immunization; newborns; outbreak; post-exposure prophylaxis; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of hospitalised pertussis cases aged 0–24 months at 11 participating centres, Italy, 1 January–10 May 2024 (n = 108)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Characteristics of hospitalised pertussis cases aged 0–24 months, Italy, 1 January–10 May 2024 (n = 108)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of coinfections in the study cohort, Italy, 1 January–10 May 2024 (n = 75)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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