Predictors of pertussis outbreak in urban and rural municipalities of Saskatchewan, Canada.

objectivesIncreased numbers of pertussis cases in September 2015 led to the declaration of an outbreak in the Saskatoon Health Region (SHR). SHR (population approximately 350,000) is a geographic area in central Saskatchewan consisting of both urban and rural municipalities. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiology and identify possible predictors of the outbreak.

methodsConfirmed cases of pertussis in SHR from 2010 to 2015 were extracted from the integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) database. Univariate and bivariate analyses and a comparison of the two outbreaks were conducted. Poisson regression modelling was used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of factors associated with pertussis infection. OUTCOMES: Two outbreaks between 2010 and 2015. Factors associated with the 2015 outbreak were residence in rural areas (IRR = 18.67, 95% CI 11.82-29.49; 11.37, 95% CI 6.40-20.21; and 6.31, 95% CI 3.43-11.62) for Humboldt, Watrous, and Rosthern areas, respectively, compared to the City of Saskatoon, and among children 11-14 years of age (IRR = 3.11, 95% CI 1.67-5.79) compared to children under 5 years of age. Unvaccinated persons had increased risk (IRR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.07-2.38). Multiple interventions, including enhanced contact tracing, supplemental immunization clinics, and cocooning, were employed in the 2015 outbreak.

conclusionPertussis is a cyclical disease with outbreaks occurring every 3 to 5 years. Teenagers have increased risk of disease compared to younger children, likely due to waning immunity. Rural residents had a higher incidence of disease, possibly due to clusters of conscientious objectors. Control efforts require recognition of waning immunity and unvaccinated susceptibles.