Differential epidemiological characteristics of the pertussis outbreak registered in a southern province of Argentina

PIANCIOLA, LUIS; WELTMAN, GABRIELA; GRAIEB, AUGUSTO; BULGHERONI, F.; FINGERMANN, MATÍAS; DI RUSSO, V.; FIORITI, ARIEL; LARA, CLAUDIA; ZURITA, MARIA EUGENIA; ARCHUBY, DANIELA; FLORES, DARIO; BOTTERO, DANIELA; GAILLARD, M. EMILIA; REGUEIRA, MABEL; GALAS, MARCELO; HOZBOR, DANIELA

BUENOS AIRES

Congreso; The 6th World Congress of the World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases - WSPID; 2009

Background and aims: In Neuquén, southern province of Argentina, a strong pertussis epidemic outbreak took place in 2005. Here we compare some outstanding characteristics of this outbreak with the situation of the disease in the rest of Argentina.Methods. CDC criteria were used for pertussis diagnosis.Results. During the analyzed outbreak a total of 2,806 pertussis suspected cases were notified, 568 were laboratory confirmed and 5 deaths were registered. The distribution of pertussis cases per age (Figure 1) and per vaccination (Figure 2) registered were different from those observed in the rest of the countryConclusion: Similar distribution of pertussis cases was previously observed during the 1996-1997 epidemic in the Netherlands. Van Boven et al (1) hypothesized that such distribution was indicating a decrease in the duration of protection after vaccination due to a change in the pathogen population. Given the similarity of both situations, this explanation may also be applied to our case. Previous molecular characterization of Argentinean bacterial circulating population made by us seemed to agree with such explanation.