title: Evaluation of reported cases of pertussis: epidemiological study in a large city in Spain.
abstract: We retrospectively analysed the incidence rate of reported cases of pertussis in Barcelona during 2009-2012 according to age, sex, type of medical centre and vaccination status. We included 748 confirmed or suspected cases, 613 (82.0 %) of which were confirmed by laboratory testing and the remaining 135 (18.0 %) by epidemiological evidence. The highest reported incidence of pertussis was amongst <1 year olds [96.1 per 100,000 person-years, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 84.3-109.1]. The majority of confirmed and suspected cases were reported in 2011 and 2012, and the total incidence (confirmed or suspected) was 6.3 (95 % CI: 5.6-6.9) and 4.2 (95 % CI: 3.6-4.7) per 100,000 person-years, respectively. Incidence increased significantly (P = 0.001) in 2011-2012 compared with 2009. Most confirmed cases occurred in children <1 year old (87.9 %). Cases were confirmed by real-time (RT)-PCR (87.5 %; 95 % CI: 81.3-87.6) and bacterial culture (13.7 %; 95 % CI: 11.0-17.1). We recommend performing RT-PCR in suspected cases with no epidemiological link to a confirmed case.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Barcelona Public Health Agency, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health, Carlos III Health Institute (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Solano
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Barcelona Public Health Agency, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health, Carlos III Health Institute (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rius
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Barcelona Public Health Agency, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simón
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Barcelona Public Health Agency, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manzanares-Laya
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Barcelona Public Health Agency, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ros
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health, Carlos III Health Institute (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Àngela
authors.initials: À
authors.lastname: Domíngez
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Barcelona Public Health Agency, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health, Carlos III Health Institute (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Caylà
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult