Emergence of Erythromycin-Resistant and Pertactin- and Filamentous Hemagglutinin-Deficient <i>Bordetella pertussis</i> Strains — Beijing, China, 2022–2023

Abstract

What is already known about this topic? Pertussis has reemerged as a significant public health threat, primarily due to variations in Bordetella pertussis strains, antimicrobial resistance, and vaccine evasion. What is added by this report? All isolated strains were identified as ptxA1/ptxC2/ptxP3/prn150/fim2-1/fim3-1/fhaB1/tcfA2 type and exhibited resistance to erythromycin. Two strains showed a deficiency in Fha, thirty in Prn, and one strain exhibited multiple immunogen deficiencies. What are the implications for public health practice? The emergence and spread of immunogen-deficient strains likely result from prolonged vaccine selection pressure, posing challenges to the efficacy of pertussis vaccines. Additionally, the ongoing dissemination of ptxP3 strains with high-level macrolide resistance presents a significant obstacle to clinical treatment strategies.

Molecular epidemiology and genomic features of Bordetella parapertussis in Shanghai, China, 2017–2022

“…Until now, a series of studies on BP strains were reported in China, including Zhejiang province ( Lin et al, 2022 ), Shanghai ( Fu et al, 2023b ), Shenzhen ( Wu et al, 2021 ), and Beijing ( Zhou et al, 2024 ). However, systematic studies or reports on BPP strains are very scarce in the world.…”