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.
Van der Wielen
Marie
M
Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
Van Damme
Pierre
P
Van Herck
Koen
K
Schlegel-Haueter
Susanna
S
Siegrist
Claire-Anne
CA
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