Macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis strain identified during an ongoing epidemic, Finland, January to October 2024
Milja Miettinen, Alex‐Mikael Barkoff, Aino Nyqvist, Carita Savolainen‐Kopra, Jenni Antikainen, Jussi Mertsola, Lauri Ivaska, Qiushui He
Abstract
Since April 2024, a pertussis epidemic has been ongoing in Finland with 2,215 notified cases by end October. Of them, 30.1% (n = 667) were aged 10–14 years. Of the 462 Bordetella pertussis isolates characterised, one was macrolide-resistant (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of erythromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin > 256 μg/mL). The resistant isolate was serotype FIM2, vaccine antigen pertactin-deficient and harboured ptxP3 allele. The emergence of macrolide-resistant B. pertussis in Europe is worrisome and its rapid identification is important.
Topics & Concepts
Bordetella pertussisErythromycinAzithromycinMicrobiologyVirologyPertactinSerotypeWhooping coughClarithromycinMedicineBiologyAntibioticsVaccinationBacteriaPertussis toxinInternal medicineG proteinReceptorGeneticsBacterial Infections and VaccinesPneumonia and Respiratory InfectionsInfective Endocarditis Diagnosis and Management