Pertussis in Latin America: current situation and future vaccination challenges

Bordetella pertussis remains in fifth place in the list of deaths attributed to vaccine-preventable diseases in children under 5 years of age around the world. It causes significant morbidity and mortality in both developing and developed nations. Although the epidemiology of the disease has been studied in detail in many developed countries, the current situation and burden of pertussis in Central and South America and the Caribbean is unknown, and there are no review articles describing data from Latin America. This review summarizes and highlights the most important recent published literature concerning pertussis in Latin America and addresses critical issues, such as disease awareness, epidemiological surveillance and future vaccination challenges, among others.