Abstract

After introduction of a mono-component vaccine, containing only pertussis toxoid (PT), the incidence of pertussis was significantly higher in the Gothenburg area among children during the period October 1, 1997 until end of 2006 compared to the Rest of Sweden where a vaccine containing PT and two other pertussis antigens was used. To investigate a possible cause of this difference, the Bordetella pertussis populations in both regions were compared by determining the fimbrial serotype (Fim), the PFGE-type and the pertussis toxin promoter allele type (ptxP). Strains with the ptxP1 allele were successively replaced by ptxP3 strains producing more pertussis toxin. In Gothenburg compared to the Rest of Sweden, Fim3 and ptxP3 strains were observed earlier and reached higher frequencies in the studied period. Since ptxP3 strains have been shown to be more virulent, their higher prevalence may have contributed to the higher incidence of pertussis in the Gothenburg area. In addition we found a high degree of linkage between PFGE-profile and ptxP3. Our results highlight the importance of strain typing to gain insight into the mechanisms of immunity-associated selection of microbial subtypes and the causes of changes in incidences of infectious diseases.

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