Epidemiology of Bordatella Pertussis
• Vaccine preventable, but over 8,000 cases reported in 2002 in USA. In 2014, 32,971 cases.
• Highly contagious – attack rates 50-100% in non-immune persons after exposure due to respiratory aerosol droplets during cough
• In pre-vaccine era most children 1-5 yr old infected, protection by maternal antibody in 1 st yr of life
• Vaccine effective for about 12 yr, thus, adults not protected and no maternal antibody passage to protect infants
• Infants before vaccine doses given are susceptible
• Thus, 20-30% of adults with prolonged cough have this
• Indicates need for adult booster vaccine
• Seizures in 3%, death in 1%