Re-Emergence of Pertussis in the Pediatric Population: A Tertiary Care Center's Experience.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the 2024 surge in pertussis cases in the pediatric population in a large tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was conducted on children aged 0-14 years with PCR-confirmed Bordetella pertussis infection diagnosed at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh between January and December 2024. Patients older than 14 years, with negative or indeterminate PCR results, or diagnosed outside the study period were excluded, and demographic, immunization, clinical, and outcome data were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 36 children were diagnosed with pertussis, with 35 (97.2%) requiring hospital admission. The median age was 3.5 months (IQR: 2.0-19.0 months), and the most common presenting symptom was severe paroxysmal cough, reported in 32 (88.9%) patients. Nine (25%) patients required pediatric intensive care unit admission, and one death occurred. Nearly 80% of patients were unvaccinated infants or under-vaccinated, and approximately half had a history of suspected or confirmed adolescent or adult household contact with pertussis.

CONCLUSION

A significant number of pediatric pertussis cases were observed in 2024, representing a 12-fold rise compared with 2023 and mirroring global outbreaks. Most patients were infants who were too young to be vaccinated or children who had not received the full series of pertussis vaccinations, and many had adolescent/adult household contacts. Our study supports the need for booster vaccinations in the adolescent population and pregnant women.