Seroprevalence of pertussis antibody among health care personnel in Spain

Pertussis in healthcare workers is of particular concern, as they can be in contact with infected patients and may transmit the infection to susceptible patients, co-workers and other contacts. This study was carried out to examine the prevalence of pertussis antibodies in hospital personnel. A total of 487 healthcare workers ≥25 years in age and students (19-24 years) in hospital training were recruited. The overall prevalence of pertussis antibody determined by ELISA was 51.7%. No significant differences on prevalence by age group (19-24, 25-34, 35-44 and ≥45 years) and occupation (student, physician, nursing personnel and non-healthcare occupations) were found. In Spain, health care personnel in a general hospital will not have a significantly higher risk of serologically detectable contact with B. pertussis. Fifty percent of physicians and nursing personnel working in hospital were seronegative for pertussis antibody. A high percentage of these subjects will be susceptible to infection.