Resurgence of Bordetella pertussis in the Netherlands in 2023-2024 reveals novel mutation in T3SS translocator gene bopD
Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Background
Despite decades of vaccination whooping cough has not been eliminated and epidemics are known to occur every 3 to 5 years. As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated non-pharmaceutical interventions, pertussis has been absent in 2020-2022. Many European countries have since seen large pertussis epidemics in 2023 and 2024.
Aim
To type Dutch pertussis isolates from 2023-2024 and compare these to pertussis isolates from 2015-2020.
Methods
Pertussis isolates received by the reference laboratory are routinely subjected to Illumina sequencing and genotyped. Expression of vaccine antigens and virulence factors was monitored over time (2015-2024). The 2023-2024 pertussis isolates were additionally typed using a cgMLST approach.
Results
Between 2015-2020, 98% of isolates belonged to two dominant genotypes. Only 82% of 2023-2024 isolates belonged to these two genotypes, a third genotype was found to make up 13% of recent pertussis isolates. Fewer pertactin-deficient isolates were observed in 2023-2024, compared to isolates from 2015-2020. Furthermore, macrolide resistant isolates have not been detected, in contrast to reports by other European countries. Twenty-one recent isolates were found to contain a novel non-synonymous mutation in the type III secretion system translocator gene, bopD .
Conclusion
Pertussis resurgence in the Netherlands coincided with the introduction of a third genotype, thereby resulting in increased genetic diversity when compared to isolates from 2015-2020. The third genotype is of the ancestral ptxP1 promoter type. A novel allele of the bopD gene has been identified, the implications of this mutation remain unclear at this time.
