The seroepidemiology of pertussis in NSW: fluctuating immunity profiles related to changes in vaccination schedules

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Contents Vol 22(12)

doi:10.1071/NB11023

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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

^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 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/NB11023
Published: 22 December 2011





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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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