Multicentric Hospital-Based Surveillance of Pertussis Amongst Infants Admitted in Tertiary Care Facilities in India

To estimate the disease and economic burden of pertussis amongst hospitalised infants in India. Multicentric hospital-based surveillance study. Hospitalised infants with clinical suspicion of pertussis based on predefined criteria. Proportion of infants with laboratory-confirmed pertussis, economic burden of pertussis amongst hospitalised infants. 693 clinically suspected infants were recruited of which 32 (4.62%) infants had laboratory-confirmed pertussis. Progressive cough with post-tussive emesis (50%) and pneumonia (34%) were the common clinical presentations; apnea in young infants was significantly associated with pertussis. Infants with pertussis were more likely to be younger (median age 102.5 days vs. 157 days) and born preterm (42.9% vs 24.5%). Almost 30% infants with pertussis had not received vaccine for pertussis with 50% of these infants aged less than 2 months. Pertussis was associated with higher costs of hospitalisation, pharmacy and loss of working days by caregivers as compared to non-pertussis cases. Younger infants, those born preterm and those inadequately immunised against pertussis are at higher risk of pertussis infection. Timely childhood immunisation and introduction of maternal immunisation for pertussis can help in reducing the disease burden.