A recent analysis of 8,117 genomes revealed that the international spread of macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis (MRBP) is driven by the expansion of a single sublineage characterised by the genotype ptxP3/fim3-1/prn150 or PRN-deficient.1 This linkage between PRN deficiency and the dissemination of MRBP has renewed attention on the immunological necessity of the PRN antigen. The emergence and circulation of pertactin (PRN)-deficient Bordetella pertussis isolates have been central to discussions on pertussis resurgence in the acellular pertussis vaccines (ACVs) era.
Wang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.