[Prevention of whooping-cough cross transmission in maternity hospital].
BACKGROUND
Reports of pertussis have been increasing since 2008 in North of France. A large part of reported cases involved healthcare workers (HCWs) in nurseries and maternity hospitals. The objective of this study was to determine HCWs' knowledge regarding pertussis and its cross-transmission in the maternity hospitals in North of France.


METHODS
This study was conducted in the 38 maternity hospitals set in North of France. Head midwives and nurses, infection control teams and occupational health practitioners were asked through a self-administered questionnaire survey to assess there knowledge regarding pertussis: vaccination, diagnosis, cross-transmission control.


RESULTS
36 on the 38 maternity hospitals' staffs returned the survey. Most of the respondents viewed pertussis as a serious and highly transmissible illness but 30% of them considered it a paediatric illness. Only a minority of the participants knew the last recommendations for pertussis vaccination in HCWs (37%) and in adults (16%). Only a few maternity hospitals staffs have set a formal organization to prevent and control pertussis cross-transmission.


CONCLUSIONS
Awareness about pertussis vaccination and its cross-transmission control needs to be increased among maternity hospital staffs. A close liaison between HCWs, occupational health, infection control teams and biologists is necessary to prepare operational procedures to control pertussis cross transmission.
Moreau-Crépeaux
Sophie
S
Cellule de l'institut de veille sanitaire en région du Nord, Cire Nord, ARS Nord-Pas-de-Calais, 59000 Lille, France.
Wyndels
Karine
K
Tachon
Mickaël
M
Blanckaert
Karine
K
D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*