Emergence of Erythromycin-Resistant and Pertactin- and Filamentous Hemagglutinin-Deficient <i>Bordetella pertussis</i> Strains — Beijing, China, 2022–2023
Guilan Zhou, Ying Li, Hairui Wang, Yuanyuan Wang, Yuan Gao, Juan Xu, Fengshuang Wang, Tao Peng, Maojun Zhang, Zhujun Shao
Abstract
<abstract abstract-type="Summary"> <sec> <b>What is already known about this topic?</b> Pertussis has reemerged as a significant public health threat, primarily due to variations in <i>Bordetella pertussis</i> strains, antimicrobial resistance, and vaccine evasion. </sec><sec> <b>What is added by this report?</b> All isolated strains were identified as <i>ptxA1/ptxC2/ptxP3/prn150/fim2-1/fim3-1/fhaB1/tcfA2</i> type and exhibited resistance to erythromycin. Two strains showed a deficiency in Fha, thirty in Prn, and one strain exhibited multiple immunogen deficiencies. </sec><sec> <b>What are the implications for public health practice?</b> 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 <i>ptxP3</i> strains with high-level macrolide resistance presents a significant obstacle to clinical treatment strategies. </sec>