[Features of Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella spp. infection and whopping cough in Córdoba province, Argentina].

INTRODUCTION

Whooping cough is a re-emerging infection in the world and Latin America.

OBJECTIVE

It was considered relevant to investigate the clinical and epidemiological profile of Bordetella spp. and Bordetella pertussis infection in Córdoba province, Argentina; evaluating, at the same time, the co-infection with virus producing respiratory infections that may be confused with whooping cough.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All whooping cough suspected cases were studied by Polimerase Chain Reaction, amplifying the repeated insertion sequence (IS) 481 and the promoter gene encoding pertussis toxin, between 2011 and 2013. The data were obtained from the clinical and epidemiological records.

RESULTS

From 2,588 whooping cough suspected cases, 11.59% was infected by Bordetella spp. and 9.16% was confirmed as Bordetella pertussis infection. The rate of infection was 7.22 and 1.84 per 100,000 for 2011 and 2012, respectively. The infection presented a seasonal tendency and it was mainly found on the group of children between 13 and 24 months old. The co-infection with virus producing respiratory infections, were uncommon. Paroxysmal cough, cyanosis and/or vomiting were predictors of the infection for Bordetella pertussis.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

To deal with the re-emergence of whooping cough is important the knowledge of the regional epidemiological situation. This paper shows the situation of these infections in the regional clinical and epidemiological context, and makes the information available for health decision-making.