Genomic epidemiology and multilevel genome typing of Bordetella pertussis
Emerging Microbes & Infections·
- DOI
- 10.1080/22221751.2023.2239945
- PMID
- 37483082
- PMCID
- PMC10399484
- OpenAlex
- W4385186008
- Study type
- Genomic study
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Pertussis causes severe respiratory infection in infants and has resurged in industrialised countries despite vaccination, partly due to pathogen adaptation. Antimicrobial resistance has also emerged. The developed MGT system provides a scalable approach for global surveillance to understand public health risks posed by circulating and emerging strains.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study aimed to implement a multilevel genome typing (MGT) system for Bordetella pertussis to address the lack of a well-established genomic nomenclature for this pathogen and to support global surveillance of circulating and emerging strains.
Study design
This was a genomic study that developed and implemented a hierarchical typing scheme with five levels of resolution for B. pertussis, ranging from major lineage identification to fine-scale strain discrimination comparable to existing genomic methods.
Population and setting
The study addressed B. pertussis populations globally, with specific reference to industrialised countries experiencing pertussis resurgence and China, where macrolide-resistant strains have emerged.
Main findings
The MGT system provides targeted typing of relevant lineages at multiple resolution levels: lower levels describe vaccine antigen allele distribution and temporal-spatial trends; mid-levels enable identification of antibiotic-resistant and pertactin-deficient lineages within the ptxP3 clade; the highest resolution level captures outbreak-scale epidemiology. The scheme offers stable nomenclature and is publicly accessible via an online database with regular updates.
Public-health relevance
Pertussis causes severe respiratory infection in infants and has resurged in industrialised countries despite vaccination, partly due to pathogen adaptation. Antimicrobial resistance has also emerged. The developed MGT system provides a scalable approach for global surveillance to understand public health risks posed by circulating and emerging strains.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata; the original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation, including any explicit study limitations or methodological constraints not captured in the abstract.
GIDS interpretation
This study presents a genomic surveillance methodology (MGT system) for B. pertussis that could support epidemiological monitoring activities. The work addresses typing nomenclature and surveillance infrastructure rather than reporting specific surveillance findings or linking to a particular public health event.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 12 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.