Pertussis Homepage

Pertussis in Other Countries

This 2000 image depicted a group of Indian children gathered together in their village located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are 30–50 million pertussis cases and about 300,000 deaths per year. Despite generally high coverage with childhood pertussis vaccines, pertussis is one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths worldwide. Most deaths occur in young infants who are either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated. Ninety percent of all cases occur in the developing world.

Bordetella pertussis circulates worldwide, but disease rates are highest among young children in countries where vaccination coverage is low, which is primarily in the developing world. In developed countries, the incidence of pertussis is highest among unvaccinated infants and increases again among adolescents.

If traveling internationally, read the Travelers’ Health Yellow Book chapter on pertussis.

References

International Bordetella pertussis assay standardization and harmonization meeting report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 19–20 July 2007
Analysis of Bordetella pertussis Populations in European Countries with Different Vaccination Policies

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