title: Seroepidemiology of diphtheria and pertussis in Luxembourg in 2000.
abstract: A large serosurvey was carried out in Luxembourg in 2000-2001, to determine the population immunity against a number of vaccine-preventable infections including diphtheria and pertussis. Immunity to diphtheria and pertussis was assessed using an in-house neutralization assay and a commercial ELISA test respectively. Mean pertussis antibody activity decreased from 4 to 8 years of age, reflecting the effects of waning of vaccine-induced immunity. Mean pertussis antibody activity increased during adolescence due to infection in previously vaccinated individuals and levelled out after approximately 20 years of age. For adults>25 years age, a statistically significant 30% difference in mean antibody activity between men and women was observed. The proportion of seronegatives for diphtheria among children and adolescents aged<20 years was 2.5% reflecting the high vaccination coverage. The proportion seronegative for diphtheria tended to increase with age such that 42% of individuals aged>40 years were seronegative. Our study supports the recently introduced acellular pertussis vaccine booster at 6 years to reduce pertussis transmission in school-aged children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire National de Santé, Luxembourg. joel.mossong@lns.etat.lu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mossong
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Putz
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shkedy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008189:Luxembourg / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial