Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis antibodies among a group of young adults

Introduction and objective Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative rod which attacks the respiratory system and causes whooping cough disease. Despite the high percentage of childhood vaccination amongst the population an increasing number of pertussis cases have been observed over time, especially among adolescents and young adults. Objective The aim of the study was to analyze the concentration of IgG anti-PT Bordetella antibodies in the serum of young adults in the aspect of maintaining immunity. Material and methods The study group consisted of 30 patients, medical students aged 21–26 years. They were interviewed with a questionnaire, which asked about their general health, medications taken, basic information about whooping cough, or vaccination status against B. pertussis. The anti-PT Bordetella levels were measured in the collected serum by a commercial ELISA kit (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Results All patients had previously received a mandatory vaccination for pertussis as a child, and 36.6%had received a booster dose after the age of 18. The total average antibody level was 13.977 IU/mL (range: