Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Although whooping cough is vaccine-preventable, its incidence is increasing globally, including in Kyrgyzstan. Aim: To investigate the epidemiologic characteristics of whooping cough among children in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Methods: We collected and analysed data on 802 children aged 0-14 years, clinically diagnosed with whooping cough, and admitted at the Republican Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from February 2014 to February 2024. Results: Polymerase chain reaction test of the respiratory samples confirmed all the children positive for Bordetella pertussis. There was no case of Bordetella parapertussis. We observed a distinct cyclical pattern of the incidence of whooping cough during the 10-year period, with a significant peak in 2018. Between 2021 and 2023, the majority (60.0%) of cases occurred among infants <1 year old. Among the children, 58.7% were not vaccinated, while 41.3% had incomplete diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccination. Severe cases were common among infants with comorbidities such as anaemia and hypoxia. Conclusions: Our findings show that whooping cough incidence is increasing among children in Bishkek. There is therefore a need to strengthen prevention efforts, including public awareness and education, childhood immunisation and maternal vaccination, and intensify detection, diagnosis and isolation to reduce transmission.
Authors: Elena Khalupko, Uzma Khan, Rahat Kadyrova, Zuura Dzholbunova, Miraj Ahmad, Yasir Naseem Khan
Institutions: Kyrgyz State Medical Academy, Bacha Khan Medical College
Language: English
Subfield: Microbiology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7117126823
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