Evolutionary genomics of recent clinical Bordetella pertussis isolates from Iran: wide circulation of multiple ptxP3 lineages and report of the first ptxP3 filamentous hemagglutinin-negative B. pertussis.

Abstract

Here we investigated nationwide clinical Bordetella pertussis isolated during 2005-2017 from different provinces of Iran, a country with more than 50\u202fyears Whole cell vaccine immunisation history. Our results revealed the ongoing increase in the population of ptxP3/fim3-2 Bordetella pertussis isolates in different provinces which are categorized in nine clades. Our previous largest clade as clade 8 that was previously included ptxP3 isolates from Tehran has been expanded in the country and the number of isolates with ptxP3/prn9 allelic profile known as clade 5 increased (14% of all ptxP3 isolates). Furthermore, we detected the first ptxP3 Bordetella pertussis isolates that does not express filamentous hemagglutinin (FhaB) as one of the major antigens of the pathogen and a key component of the acellular pertussis vaccine.