Bordetella pertussis still poses an important health threat in developing countries. In Niger, notified pertussis cases are few despite the low diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis/pentavalent vaccine coverage. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of B. pertussis in children aged <5 years consulting at a pediatric ward. A 5-month study in 2011 recruited 342 children with respiratory symptoms at the National Hospital of Niamey. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were tested by culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Overall, 34 (11.2%) of the 305 available nasopharyngeal aspirates tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction were positive for a Bordetella spp., with an estimated prevalence of 8.2 cases per 1000 children aged <5. None was notified to the surveillance network. A single specimen was positive on culture. This study, the first to provide laboratory-confirmed data on pertussis in Niger, highlights the need to sensitize health care personnel to actively notify clinical cases and to integrate laboratory diagnosis in the existing surveillance system.
Keywords: Niger; diagnosis; pertussis; prevalence.
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