title: Pertussis in adults.
abstract: A survey was conducted of 89 households in each of which at least one patient with culture-confirmed pertussis had been detected. The source of infection was found to be an adult in 10 (11.2%) of the 89 households, and the rate of secondary attack was 19 (10.3%) of 185. Furthermore, a laboratory study disclosed 17 adults with subclinical pertussis; the subclinical infection rate was 17 (25.0%) of 68. When compared with pertussis in young children, the adult illness was generally less severe and had different clinical features. Adult pertussis showed neither leukocytosis nor lymphocytosis, but it produced anti-pertussis toxin antibody more quickly and higher levels of anti-filamentous hemagglutinin and agglutinin antibodies, and showed stronger growth inhibition of Bordetella pertussis. Although adult pertussis is usually unrecognized because of its different clinical and laboratory features, it is a significant health threat that requires some measures for disease control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kawasaki Municipal Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoyama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murase
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005192:Family Health; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology