COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF PCR DIAGNOSTIC EFFECTIVENESS DURING THE INCREASED INCIDENCE OF PERTUSSIS IN 2023–2024

Pertussis remains a significant acute respiratory disease transmitted via airborne droplets, despite advancements in mass vaccination and clinical surveillance. The epidemiological situation for pertussis infection in the Russian Federation has undergone significant changes in recent years: in 2023-2024 more than 52,000 and 32,535 cases of the disease were registered, respectively. Simultaneously, the proportion of mild, atypical, and subclinical forms has increased among not only younger children but also adolescents and adults. During the period of increasing incidence of pertussis, laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis of pertussis using PCR diagnostics increased to 51.1%. This complicates timely diagnosis and necessitates improvements in laboratory monitoring and epidemiological surveillance. Objective. Comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of molecular-genetic laboratory diagnostic methods for pertussis during the increased incidence in 2023-2024. Material and methods. Data processing was carried out in Microsoft Excel 2019 using descriptive and comparative statistics. Results. In 2023, a total of 250,048 laboratory tests for pertussis were performed, of which 147,577 (59%) utilized PCR methods. In 2024, the total number of tests increased to 483,183, with PCR tests accounting for 256,199 (53%). The trend of PCR diagnostic use from 2018 to 2022 indicates a steady rise in the application of molecular-genetic methods. Laboratory confirmation of B. pertussis detection is complemented by identification of B. parapertussis, B. bronchiseptica, B. holmesii, influencing clinical presentations and necessitating adjusted interpretation methods. Conclusion. Extensive implementation of PCR diagnostics during the significant increase in incidence improve diagnostic accuracy and timeliness, enabling adaptation of epidemiological surveillance and clinical protocols. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.