Bordetella pertussis isolation in general practice: 1977-79 whooping cough epidemic in West Glamorgan.
Some of the factors influencing the isolation rate of Bordetella pertussis during a whooping cough epidemic in West Glamorgan, Wales, are reported. The organism was isolated from 39% of patients with clinical whooping cough, pernasal swabbing being much more successful than cough plates. Isolation rates were increased in the non-immunized, particularly in the first year of life. Erythromycin and co-trimoxazole significantly reduced the isolation rate of B. pertussis but this did not occur with penicillin. In this study 20% of patients were culture positive 6 weeks after the onset of their infection. It is suggested that the Department of Health and Social Security recommendation of a minimum period of three weeks exclusion of children from school is inadequate. During the epidemic, the proportion of strains of B. pertussis containing antigen 2 more than doubled.
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010252:Paramyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D012703:Serotyping; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination; D014852:Wales; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine