6533b855fe1ef96bd12b13ff
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Seroepidemiology of pertussis infection in an urban childhood population in Cameroon.
G. MazzaA SarzanaM. MaggioMaria ChiaramonteD. LantumS TaorminaAlfredo ChiariniTommaso StroffoliniT. NgatchuAnna Giammancosubject
medicine.medical_specialtyPediatricsAdolescentUrban PopulationEpidemiologyWhooping CoughPopulationEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayEnvironmental healthEpidemiologymedicineHumansCameroonVirulence Factors BordetellaeducationChildKumbaeducation.field_of_studyFamily Characteristicsbiologybusiness.industryFamily characteristicsPublic healthSystematic samplingbiology.organism_classificationPertussis ToxinChild PreschoolImmunoglobulin Gbusinessdescription
In 1989, the prevalence of IgG antibodies to pertussis toxin (PT) in a sample of 367 unvaccinated apparently healthy children 5-14 years old was estimated by ELISA in Kumba City (Cameroon). Children were recruited using a systematic random sampling from six primary schools located in different districts of the city. The sample was representative of the various socioeconomic classes. The overall prevalence was 75%; it increased from 62% in 5 year old children to 81% in children 12-14 years old (P less than 0.01). IgG antibody prevalence was positively related to the family size. Children belonging to households of nine or more members had a 2.2-fold risk (C.I. 95 per cent = 1.1-4.6) of previous exposure to B. pertussis infection. No association was found with the father's occupation (O.R. = 1). These findings demonstrate a great impact of pertussis infection in Cameroon, with a nearly total exposure by late childhood.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-01-01 | European journal of epidemiology |