Pertussis as a constantly occurring threat to public health

Abstract

Bordetella pertussis causes the highly contagious respiratory disease known as whooping cough, which is a global public health problem. However, B. pertussis continues to be a threat in countries with low vaccination coverage, and it re-emerges in countries with high coverage. Infection can cause a variety of respiratory symptoms, many of which are particularly severe in newborn infants. The bacteria express a wide range of virulence factors that act in association to promote bacterial colonisation, dissemination, persistence, resistance to host immunity, and transmission. These variables have both systemic and local effects on host tissues, resulting in a distinct disease characteristic specific to B. pertussis. This paper reviews the epidemiology, disease pattern, virulence factors, complications, problems of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of B. pertussis.