The seroepidemiology of pertussis in NSW: fluctuating immunity profiles related to changes in vaccination schedules
Helen E. Quinn A E , Deepika Mahajan A , Linda Hueston B , Patricia Campbell C D , Robert I. Menzies A , Gwendolyn L. Gilbert B and Peter B. McIntyre A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
B Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology – Public Health, Institute for Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead Hospital
C Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
D Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne
E Corresponding author. Email: HelenQ@chw.edu.au
NSW Public Health Bulletin 22(12) 224-229 https://doi.org/10.1071/NB11023
Published: 22 December 2011
Abstract
The pertussis epidemic experienced in NSW in 2008–2009 was likely to be in part due to changes in diagnostic practice since 2007, which amplified disease notifications. We used population-based seroepidemiology as a less biased means of interpreting age-specific pertussis infection patterns in NSW from three serosurveys undertaken in 1997–98 (during an epidemic), 2002 (post-epidemic) and 2007 (inter-epidemic), using a standardised pertussis toxin IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There was a decrease in the proportion of high anti-pertussis toxin IgG titres (>62.5 ELISA Units/mL) across all age groups in the 2007 serosurvey compared to the previous two serosurveys. In the 2007 serosurvey, the proportion of undetectable (<5 ELISA Units/mL) anti-pertussis toxin IgG titres increased in many age groups. The seroepidemiological profiles of the three serosurveys demonstrate fluctuating immunity profiles related to changes in vaccination schedules.
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