Molecular Evolution and Increasing Macrolide Resistance of Bordetella pertussis, Shanghai, China, 2016-2022

Resurgence and spread of macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis (MRBP) threaten global public health. We collected 283 B. pertussis isolates during 2016-2022 in Shanghai, China, and conducted 23S rRNA gene A2047G mutation detection, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis, and virulence genotyping analysis. We performed whole-genome sequencing on representative strains. We detected pertussis primarily in infants (0-1 years of age) before 2020 and older children (>5-10 years of age) after 2020. The major genotypes were ptxP1/prn1/fhaB3/ptxA1/ptxC1/fim2-1/fim3-1 (48.7%) and ptxP3/prn2/fhaB1/ptxA1/ptxC2/fim2-1/fim3-1 (47.7%). MRBP increased remarkably from 2016 (36.4%) to 2022 (97.2%). All MRBPs before 2020 harbored ptxP1, and 51.4% belonged to multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis type (MT) 195, whereas ptxP3-MRBP increased from 0% before 2020 to 66.7% after 2020, and all belonged to MT28. MT28 ptxP3-MRBP emerged only after 2020 and replaced the resident MT195 ptxP1-MRBP, revealing that 2020 was a watershed in the transformation of MRBP.