Pertussis among Patients with Clinically Compatible Illness in the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.

Abstract Background Pertussis is an acute respiratory tract disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. In 2014, 24.1 million pertussis cases, resulting in 160,700 deaths were estimated to occur worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology of pertussis among patients with clinically compatible illness who visited selected hospitals in the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. Methods Cross-sectional study design was employed on pertussis patients with clinically compatible illness. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from five hundred-fifteen patients from July 2018 through February 2019. DNA was extracted from all nasopharyngeal swabs and samples were analyzed using real-time (RT-) PCR. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated using bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis, respectively. Results The overall prevalence of Bordetella species among study participants was 156/515 (30.3%) [95% CI = 26.4-34.6] as determined by Bordetella RT-PCR, including 65/156 (41.7%) B. pertussis, 89/156 (57.1%) indeterminate B. pertussis, 1/156 (0.6%) B. holmesii and 1/156 (0.6%) B. parapertussis. Conclusions This study reveals that pertussis is potentially endemic and a common health problem among patients visiting health institutions in the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. More data regarding pertussis in Ethiopia could inform development of effective prevention strategies.