Diagnosis of Pertussis by the Fluorescent-Antibody Method

Pertussis: the disease and new diagnostic methods

“…Several early studies reported that the DFA test was more sensitive than culture (26,120,165 (26). Whether any specimens were both DFA and culture positive was not reported.…”

Identification of Bordetella Pertussis in Nasopharyngeal Swabs Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction: Evaluation of Detection Methods

“…Isolation and identification of bacteria with this method takes many days and gives a significant number of false negative results (4). Immunofluorescence is anqther possible method, but it requires the bacteria to be cultured and false positive results are often obtained (3,(5)(6)(7). A pertussis infection can be detected serologically by quantiiying the specific immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG) with the ELISA technique (8).…”

Major outbreak of pertussis in northern Alberta, Canada: analysis of discrepant direct fluorescent-antibody and culture results by using polymerase chain reaction methodology

“…The clinical symptoms of pertussis are typically not unique early in the catarrhal stage (21,38,45) and the classic paroxysmal coughing that occurs later in the course of the disease may be absent, depending on the age of the patient, the patient's immune status, and whether the patient was treated with antibiotics (2,4,29,35,44).Laboratory diagnosis of pertussis is similarly affected by the same factors that influence symptomatology. Culture and fluorescent-antibody detection of organisms in nasopharyngeal swabs or aspirates are more likely to be positive just before or early after the onset of symptoms but are increasingly less likely to be positive as time elapses after the onset of cough (38,45,47). Conversely, serological tests, which are dependent on the new synthesis of pertussis-specific antibody in the patient, are more likely to be positive only after symptoms begin (29,32,45).In the province of Alberta, the case definition of pertussis is (i) characteristic paroxysmal cough, cough episodes ending in apnea, vomiting, or inspiratory whoop with no other known cause, or (ii) a cough lasting for at least 2 weeks and epidemiologically linked to a laboratory-confirmed case of pertussis.…”

“…Laboratory diagnosis of pertussis is similarly affected by the same factors that influence symptomatology. Culture and fluorescent-antibody detection of organisms in nasopharyngeal swabs or aspirates are more likely to be positive just before or early after the onset of symptoms but are increasingly less likely to be positive as time elapses after the onset of cough (38,45,47). Conversely, serological tests, which are dependent on the new synthesis of pertussis-specific antibody in the patient, are more likely to be positive only after symptoms begin (29,32,45).…”