We compared data from the 2015 and 2024 pertussis epidemics in New South Wales, Australia. In 2024, we found twice as many notifications and a shift in distribution to older children. COVID-19 interventions and lack of circulation of pertussis likely contributed to an age cohort immunity gap and increased infections.

We report the emergence of macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis during a pertussis outbreak in Peru. Among 68 cases, 31% carried the A2047G gene mutation, conferring resistance to macrolides. Whole-genome sequencing revealed 2 genetically distinct groups, indicating multiple introductions into Peru. Our findings support strengthening surveillance for macrolide-resistant pertussis to inform control strategies.

Pertussis incidence increased substantially in Ireland in 2024. This study examined the relationship between pertussis incidence and area-level socioeconomic deprivation in the HSE Dublin and Midlands region in 2024.

Background/Objectives: Pertussis has resurged worldwide despite long-standing vaccination programs. Whole-cell (wP) and acellular (aP) pertussis vaccines differ in immunobiology, durability, reactogenicity, and programmatic use. Poland is the only European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) country that routinely primes infants with wP while using aP products for boosters, pregnancy, and selected indications, providing an informative programmatic context. This review compares both platforms across biological, clinical, safety, epidemiological, and supply domains. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of PubMed/MEDLINE literature and documents from the World Health Organization, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, national public health institutes, and regulatory authorities through July 2026. No protocol was registered and no quantitative synthesis was performed. Results: wP priming induces a persistent T-helper 1/T-helper 17-oriented response and an immunoglobulin G1-dominant profile, whereas aP vaccination produces higher, higher-avidity antibody concentrations, an increasing immunoglobulin G4 fraction, and substantially lower reactogenicity. Historical trials demonstrated marked product-level heterogeneity: efficacy ranged from 36-48% for poorly performing wP vaccines to 84-85% for multicomponent aP vaccines, while one United Kingdom wP product performed comparably to a five-component aP vaccine. Protection after aP schedules wanes within several years, no validated correlate of protection exists, and neither intramuscular platform reliably prevents colonization or transmission. In 2024, eight aP-using EU/EEA countries had higher pertussis notification rates than Poland despite stable Polish infant coverage. Conclusions: Neither platform is uniformly superior across products, schedules, and clinically relevant outcomes. Program performance depends primarily on timely infant vaccination, maternal vaccination, appropriate boosters, product-specific effectiveness evidence, and secure vaccine supply.

Despite high childhood coverage and booster doses of pertussis vaccination across the life course, pertussis (whooping cough) outbreaks continue to occur, including in Australia and New Zealand. In January 2026, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) granted marketing authorisation to a new pertussis-only booster vaccine (VacPertagen[TM]): the first time in two decades that a new acellular pertussis vaccine has been approved in the European Union. Anticipating future licensure of the vaccine in Australia and New Zealand, an expert panel was convened to discuss the clinical and programmatic advantages that this new vaccine may offer in the context of current pertussis epidemiology and vaccination strategies inSuch advantages may also be applicable to other high-income countries experiencing ongoing pertussis outbreaks.

Obesity is a risk factor for severe respiratory viral infections, but its impact on bacterial respiratory diseases remains unclear and is sometimes paradoxical. Herein, we demonstrate that diet-induced obese, male C57BL/6J mice exhibited increased resistance to pulmonary infection with Francisella tularensis and Bordetella pertussis compared with lean controls. This enhanced protection in obese mice was associated with early production of the lipid mediator prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), reduced prostaglandin E2 levels, attenuated pulmonary inflammation and decreased lung cell death. Using in vitro models, we found that PGD2 and its metabolites, PGJ2 and 15-deoxy-PGJ2, suppressed macrophage inflammatory responses and limited replication of both F. tularensis and B. pertussis. In studies using the highly virulent F. tularensis SchuS4 strain, antagonism of the PGD2 receptor DP2 increased bacterial burden in macrophages in vitro, and activation of both PGD2 receptors (DP1 and DP2) in lean mice reduced bacterial loads and lung inflammation in vivo. Together, these data indicate that PGD2 signaling promotes bacterial control and limits inflammation during these bacterial infections. The association between early PGD2 production and enhanced resistance to F. tularensis and B. pertussis in obese mice suggests that modulation of PGD2 signaling may contribute to obesity-associated protection and represents a potential host-directed therapeutic strategy to improve protection of these infections.

The occurrence of whooping cough was controlled with vaccination in several countries, but it has re-emerged in recent decades. Little is known about the history of the disease in Colombia. This paper summarizes the history of whooping cough in Colombia, viewed from a population perspective. Evidence suggests that whooping cough appeared towards the end of the 15th. century in Persia, and since then it has been mostly endemic among children. It must have arrived in Colombia during the 18th. or early 19th. century. In Colombia, major epidemics have occurred, especially before the availability of the Bordetella pertussis vaccine. The most significant epidemics occurred in Bogotá (1814) and Cajicá (1922). Vaccination was very effective in the second half of the 20th. century, although there were outbreaks among unvaccinated populations in rural and indigenous areas in various parts of the country. Whooping cough is currently a threat to Colombia due to cases brought in from abroad or unvaccinated individuals.

Vaccines delivered via the nasal route have attracted increasing attention for their capacity to engage the mucosal immune system at the primary site of pathogen entry. However, the early innate mechanisms that shape local immune responses following nasal immunisation remain poorly defined. Here, we identified previously uncharacterised tissue-derived mediators induced during vaccination. Using an intranasally administered whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccine that recapitulates key features of Bordetella pertussis infection and elicits long-lasting immunity, we show that nasal delivery triggers neutrophil recruitment along with a marked upregulation of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI). Employing SLPI- and neutrophil-deficient mouse models, we demonstrate that SLPI and neutrophils influence the production of key mediators associated with coagulation (PAI-1) and tissue remodelling (MMP-3 and MMP-9) within the airway. Notably, neutrophils also modulate early local total IgA release. Together, these findings suggest a coordinated and context-dependent interplay between cellular and soluble innate components that shape early mucosal immune responses. Furthermore, identified mediators may represent candidate biomarkers in the development of intranasal vaccines against B. pertussis and other pathogens.

Pertussis remains a significant threat to young infants, even in an age of widespread vaccination. In its most severe form, malignant pertussis (MP), the infection can trigger a life-threatening immune reaction, including a high white blood cell count that can place significant stress on a baby's heart and lungs. This clinical challenge is especially relevant in areas such as the Gulf Cooperation Council, where young demographics and rapidly advancing healthcare systems struggle with outbreaks that are often under-reported. In this context, we detail the case of a young infant who developed MP. The child's course was fraught with extreme leucocytosis, respiratory failure and additional bloodstream infections acquired during hospitalisation. Early recognition, aggressive supportive care and vigilant monitoring are crucial; in addition, timely maternal immunisation is the strongest defence for newborns. The successful use of hydroxyurea to manage extreme hyperleucocytosis without the need for exchange transfusion or leucapheresis is a key educational feature of this case.

Despite widespread vaccination, Bordetella pertussis (Bp) cases are resurging globally. Although CD4+ T cells are known to be essential for sustained protection, the antigens they recognize are not fully characterized, hindering vaccine refinement. Using immunopeptidomics, bioinformatics, and functional T cell assays, we identified high-affinity epitopes from reference and clinical Bp strains presented on MHC-II I-Ab. A subset of these epitopes stimulated systemic and mucosal CD4+ T cells of mice immunized with heat-killed Bp, and peripheral blood T cells from humans vaccinated with the whole-cell pertussis vaccine. Mice immunized with a subunit vaccine comprising two recombinant proteins identified in our screen were subsequently challenged with Bp. Bacterial burden was nearly eliminated from the lower respiratory tract and significantly reduced in the upper respiratory tract. Th1/Th17-polarized CD4+ tissue-resident memory T cells (Trms) were induced in nasal and pulmonary tissues. Depleting memory CD4+ T cells before challenge abolished protection, confirming that antigen-specific CD4+ T cells are critical for clearing Bp from the respiratory tract. Our integrated antigen identification and T cell assay approach revealed previously untested Bp antigens that elicit protective CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity, suggesting that incorporating them into new vaccines may help curb the resurgence of pertussis.