Abstract:

Pertussis is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, which has a long history and can affect people of all ages. The re-emergence of pertussis has become a global issue of great concern, including in China. Since 2022, the number of whooping cough cases reported in China has increased rapidly. The genotype of the main antigen (pertussis toxin) of the current Bordetella pertussis epidemic strain has changed, and the corresponding antigen is different from the vaccine strain, resulting in immune escape, which is one of the important reasons for the recurrence of pertussis. At present, the resistance of Bordetella pertussis to macrolide antibiotics is an important reason for clinical treatment failure, so it is no longer recommended as the first choice for anti-infection treatment of pertussis. For children over 2 months of age with no contraindications to sulfanilamide, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole oral administration is recommended as the preferred anti-infection regimen for pertussis catarrhal stage and spasmodic cough stage. Piperacillin or cefoperazone-sulbactam are recommended for children under 2 months of age or with critical symptoms. The improvement or development of a new generation of pertussis vaccine with the same antigen as the prevalent strain will be a long-term strategy to enhance the immune protection of the susceptible population and control the epidemic of the disease.

Key words: pertussis, reappear, immune escape, macrolide antibiotics, vaccine