Seroepidemiology of pertussis disease in Asia: A literature review

Abstract

Pertussis is a highly communicable acute respiratory tract infection caused mainly by Bordetella pertussis. Since pertussis is life-threatening to young infants, it remains a growing public health concern in many countries in spite of vaccination coverage. Evidence Acquisition: We performed a selective literature search about the pertussis epidemiology in Asia over the past 15 years to provide a picture of the B. pertussis incidence rate in the area and help design an effective strategy for adolescent and adult vaccination. Results: The overall prevalence of B. pertussis seropositivity among the evaluated people (16,785) in Asia from 2000 to 2015 was 36%. The calculated prevalence rates were 38.4% for Iran, 29% for Japan, 29% for Turkey, 40% for Korea, 8% for China, 59% for Pakistan, 52.4% for Israel, 34% for Taiwan, and 97% for Singapore. The mean age of the total individuals was 27 +/- 3 years. A high percentage of seropositivity was found in the warm months (between the early summer and early autumn). Conclusions: Results show that pertussis is endemic in Asia, particularly in adolescents and adults and in warm seasons. This study also shows the importance of laboratory diagnosis for pertussis, booster vaccinations for adolescents, development of a highly efficacious pertussis vaccine, and improving surveillance system.