title: Pertussis in infants less than 6 months of age and household contacts, Italy, April 2014.
abstract: We report pertussis cases in 4 infants less than 6 months admitted with symptoms compatible with pertussis to the intensive care unit of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, April 2014. Realtime PCR confirmed pertussis diagnosis for the 4 infants, 2 of them were cousins, and for the household contacts of 1 of them. Analysis of pertussis toxin, its promoter and pertactin was also performed. First of all, this report emphasizes the need to investigate household contact of infants with pertussis; secondly, to evaluate the selective vaccination of household members of newborns as an effective program to reduce pertussis in infants.
authors: a Institute of Microbiology; Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore ; Rome , Italy.
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Sali
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Buttinelli
authors: Cecilia
authors: C
authors: Fazio
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Vacca
authors: Marilena
authors: M
authors: La Sorda
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Carannante
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Spanu
authors: Piero
authors: P
authors: Valentini
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Stefanelli
mesh_terms: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037342:Pertussis Toxin / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012384:Rome / Q000453:epidemiology; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000235:genetics; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; C068929:pertactin; D037342:Pertussis Toxin
keywords: Italy; household contacts; infant; pertussis; prn, pertactin; ptxA, subunit S1 of the pertussis toxin; ptxP, promoter of the pertussis toxin gene; vaccine