Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis antibodies in Flanders (Belgium).
To determine age-dependent pertussis immune response in the Flemish population, antibody levels to pertactin (PRN), pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) were measured in serum samples from 1622 healthy 1-100-year-old subjects. For anti-PRN and anti-PT antibodies, peaks in GMTs were seen in infancy and again in the 10-15-year age group. After age of 20 years, anti-PRN GMT declined rapidly over a decade, followed by a slower decline. Anti-FHA GMT tended to rather increase progressively with age. These data confirm waning of vaccine-induced antibody levels and suggest pertussis resurgence during adolescence and young adulthood. These results support a pertussis booster vaccination policy for adolescents and adults.
Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
Marie
M
Van der Wielen
Pierre
P
Van Damme
Koen
K
Van Herck
Susanna
S
Schlegel-Haueter
Claire-Anne
CA
Siegrist
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial