Severe Bordetella pertussis Infection in a Diabetic Elderly Female Presenting with Multisystem Complications: A Case Report

Abstract

Pertussis, caused by Bordetella pertussis, is traditionally a child illness; nevertheless, its frequency among older adults is increasing owing to waning immunity and incomplete vaccination. This case report depicts an 84-year-old woman with multiple comorbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease with symptoms of fever, breathlessness, and productive cough. She was initially treated with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia, which failed to show improvement on conventional empirical therapy. A nasopharyngeal PCR then confirmed Bordetella pertussis infection, and accordingly, a change in the treatment to Azithromycin was ensued, which resulted in significant clinical improvement. This case highlights the importance of keeping pertussis as one of the differential diagnoses in the respiratory condition in elderly patients with unusual presentation. It also underlines the necessity of increased awareness and promotion of adult booster immunization programs in order to reverse the risk of severe pertussis infection in older adults.