Background: Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection that remains a public health issue despite vaccination. It has been resurging worldwide in several developed countries. The aim of the study was to assess the cases of pertussis in private practice from March 2024 to March 2025 and compare the situation in previous years.
Method: We are reporting on the clinical characteristics of cases with pertussis for 12 months. During this period, the cases were detected by examination of nasopharyngeal aspirate for Bordetella pertussis DNA.
Results: During this period, a total of 20 cases of pertussis were detected. 58 percent of cases were female, and only 25 percent had received at least one dose of the pertussis vaccine. 65 percent of cases were unvaccinated. Two children were fully vaccinated. The median age of the cases was 10 years, with a range of 21 months to 17 years. Only one child, age 21 months, was admitted to the hospital with a paroxysmal cough followed by an inspiratory whoop. All the other cases are suffering from mild symptoms, mostly having a cough and a temperature. We reported no cases of pertussis in previous years in our practice.
Conclusion: The characteristics of the cases with pertussis appear to have shifted towards older age and towards a higher proportion of non-vaccinated individuals in their lifetime. This study highlights the need for further effort to understand the burden of pertussis in primary paediatric practice and to improve vaccination strategies in older children.
