Abstract
Pertussis in healthcare workers is of particular concern, as they can be in contact with infected patients and may transmit the infection to susceptible patients, co-workers and other contacts. This study was carried out to examine the prevalence of pertussis antibodies in hospital personnel. A total of 487 healthcare workers > or = 25 years in age and students (19-24 years) in hospital training were recruited. The overall prevalence of pertussis antibody determined by ELISA was 51.7%. No significant differences on prevalence by age group (19-24, 25-34, 35-44 and > or = 45 years) and occupation (student, physician, nursing personnel and non-healthcare occupations) were found. In Spain, health care personnel in a general hospital will not have a significantly higher risk of serologically detectable contact with B. pertussis. Fifty percent of physicians and nursing personnel working in hospital were seronegative for pertussis antibody. A high percentage of these subjects will be susceptible to infection.
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