Don’t Blame Parents for Pertussis

The resurgence of pertussis among infants is being driven by infections transmitted from siblings rather than from parents, a new Australian study suggests.  Public health researchers in NSW traced all possible sources of infection for 95 laboratory confirmed cases of pertussis in children less than one year of age, and found that the most frequently identified sources were siblings (36%)  rather than parents (24%). Other sources of infection included other family members (21%), friends (13%), and settings outside the home such as medical centre's (6%). The researchers said it was notable that in contrast to previous Australian studies, mothers represented a likely source of infection in only 15% of cases of infant pertussis.  Reporting the findings in Communicable Diseases Intelligence, they say siblings aged three and four years of age were particularly important transmitters of pertussis infection to infants.  "Our data highlight the role of siblings around three and four years of age as potential reservoirs of pertussis infection and reinforces the importance of both timely vaccination and the need to consider amending the immunisation schedule to minimise infection in this age group," they conclude.

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