title: Oral fluid testing for pertussis, England and wales, june 2007-august 2009.
abstract: Existing pertussis surveillance systems tend to underidentify less severe cases among older children and adults. For routine follow-up of notified, nonconfirmed, clinically diagnosed pertussis cases, use of an oral fluid test was pilot tested in England and Wales during June 2007-August 2009. During that period, 1,852 cases of pertussis were confirmed by established laboratory methods and another 591 by oral fluid testing only. Although introduction of serologic testing in 2002 led to the greatest increase in ascertainment of pertussis, oral fluid testing increased laboratory ascertainment by 32% overall; maximal increase (124%) occurred among children 5-9 years of age. Patients whose pertussis was confirmed by oral fluid testing were least likely to be hospitalized, suggesting that milder community cases were being confirmed by this method. Oral fluid testing is an easily administered, noninvasive surveillance tool that could further our understanding of pertussis epidemiology and thereby contribute to decisions on vaccination strategies.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Gayatri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amirthalingam
authors.forename: Norman K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Litt
authors.forename: Timothy G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Natasha S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Crowcroft
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D014611:Vaccination; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D010567:Pertussis Vaccine