PERTUSIS - CURRENT SITUATION

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a contagious acute respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Before the widespread immunization, pertussis was one of the most common infectious causes of morbidity and death. Despite widespread immunization, the pathogen continues to circulate in the population with cyclical outbreaks. Recent data from the Institute of Public Health of Serbia "Dr Milan Jovanović Batut" for the territory of the Republic of Serbia reveals a significant rise in pertussis cases in the last year, which creates a need for careful analysis of the current epidemic. The aim of our study was to show the current epidemiological situation related to pertussis illness, along with an analysis of patients hospitalized at the Children's Hospital for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis, Clinical Hospital Center "Dr Dragiša Mišović" from August 2023 to February 2024, who were laboratory confirmed with B. Pertussis infection. During this period, 23 patients were hospitalized with confirmed B. Pertussis infection. The laboratory method for isolating the bacterium was a nasopharyngeal swab that was sent for PCR analysis. The average age of hospitalized children was 4.6 months, with the majority being 2 months old. The youngest infants were 1 month old, while the oldest patient was 35 months old. B. Pertussis infection was confirmed in children who were either not vaccinated or were incompletely vaccinated due to their age. The most commonly associated conditions with B. Pertussis infection were acute bronchiolitis and pneumonia, with SARS COV-2 virus isolated in two cases. Based on the results of our analysis and data from the literature, we observed an increase in the number of pertussis cases. Although vaccination has significantly contributed to reducing the incidence of pertussis, this analysis highlights challenges and the need for continued following of the epidemiologic situation. Additionally, it is crucial to consider factors contributing to the resurgence of the epidemic to develop more effective strategies for disease control and prevention.