Clinical and Laboratory Features of Severe Bordetella pertussis in Hospitalized Infants in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

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The study involved 70 infants hospitalized for severe Bordetella pertussis in southwestern Saudi Arabia from January 2024 to April 2025.
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Non-survivors exhibited significantly higher leukocyte counts and inflammatory markers compared to survivors, indicating severe illness.
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Clinical features such as apnea, seizures, and hypoxemia were strongly associated with mortality in critically ill infants.
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Fatal cases of pertussis involved severe pulmonary hypertension and required aggressive interventions like exchange transfusions.
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The study highlights the need for improved maternal and infant immunization strategies to reduce the burden of critical pertussis.

Frontiers In Pediatrics

by Ali Alsuheel Asseri, Norah Alshehri, Ibrahim AlHelali, Ibrahim Al-Benhassan, Ahmed Alhijab Alhazmi, Khalid S. AlShehri, Abdullah Baoqbah, Ghada Haider, Syed Esam Mahmood, Ausaf Ahmad, Tarig Hamad
July 20, 2026

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