Seroprevalence study ofB. pertussisinfection in health care workers in Catalonia, Spain

Abstract

Pertussis is a re-emerging infection in countries with high infant immunization coverage. Healthcare workers (HCW) are exposed and can transmit the infection to especially-vulnerable patients. Therefore, pertussis vaccination of HCW is recommended. Between June 2008 and December 2010, 460 HCW from hospital and primary healthcare centers were recruited to determine susceptibility to pertussis. IgG antibodies against pertussis (anti-pertussis ab) were measured, using a routine technique that detects antibodies against pertussis including pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). Positive results were confirmed with a more-specific technique that only assesses anti-PT IgG antibodies. The median age was 42 years (range, 21-65), 77.3% were female. 172 were nurses, 133 physicians, 60 other clinical workers and 95 non-clinical workers. None had received pertussis vaccination since childhood. The overall prevalence of anti-pertussis antibodies was 51.7%, (95% CI 47.1-56.4). Anti-PT antibodies were determined in the 220 HCW with positive anti-pertussis antibodies: 4 (1.8%) were negative and 33 (15%) had a high titer (≥ 45 IU/mL). No significant differences between the prevalence of anti-pertussis antibodies or anti-TP antibodies were found according to age, type of occupation or type of center. Our study confirms the need for vaccination of HCW because at least half are susceptible to pertussis. High anti-PT titers found in 15% of seropositive HCW showed that they had had recent contact with B. pertussis.

Vaccination of healthcare workers: A review

“…167 In a recent study among Spanish HCWs, the seroprevalence of anti-pertussis antibodies was 51.7%, and the incidence of recent infection, estimated by antipertussis toxin antibodies, was 15%. 168 This prevalence of recent infection concurs with previous investigations. 169,170 No evidence has been documented on the effect of vaccination among HCWs in averting transmission to newborns and/or infants, but many case and outbreak reports have demonstrated their role in nosocomial pertussis transmission.…”

Immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases in Finnish pediatric healthcare workers in 2015

“…Antibodies are shown to wane quite rapidly in the years following vaccination with acellular pertussis vaccine [11,12]. A recent study in Spain showed that 51.7% (238) of the 460 HCWs tested had pertussis IgG, thus raising the question whether the remaining HCWs were susceptible to the disease [13].…”

Pertussis: enfermedad reemergente

“…Estudios posteriores revelan que ni la infección, ni la vacunación inducen una inmunidad protectora, ocasionando reinfecciones frecuentes en cualquier época de la vida, siendo los infantes menores de un año el grupo más afectado, con una mayor proporción de casos en menores de 6 meses que aún no han sido vacunados o no han completado el esquema de vacunación primaria (13).…”

“…reclutaron 460 trabajadores del cuidado de la salud de centros de atención primaria, con el fin de determinar la susceptibilidad a B. pertussis, midiendo anticuerpos IgG (anti-pertussis), en búsqueda de anticuerpos contra la toxina pertussis (PT) y la hemaglutinina filamentosa (FHA), obteniendo resultados positivos con más de una técnica específica, cuya prevalencia fue del 51%, además de reportar títulos altos anti-PT en el 15% del personal seropositivo demostrando su reciente contacto con B. pertussis (13,22).…”