Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-n9wrp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T13:14:23.690Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bordetella pertussis isolation in general practice: 1977–79 whooping cough epidemic in West Glamorgan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

B. W. Kwantes ,
D. H. M. Joynson  and
W. O. Williams
B. W. Kwantes
Affiliation:
Public Health Laboratory, Cockett Road, Swansea, Wales, SA2 0FA
D. H. M. Joynson
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, Neath General Hospital, Penrhiwtyn, Neath, Wales, SA11 2LQ
W. O. Williams
Affiliation:
Swansea Research Unit of the Royal College of General Practitioners, c/o Social Anthropology Dept. University College of Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales, SA2 8PP
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

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.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 90 , Issue 2 , April 1983 , pp. 149 - 158
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

References

REFERENCES

Bradford, W. L. & Slavin, B. (1940). Nasopharyngeal culture in pertussis. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 43, 590–593.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Combined Scottish Study (1970). Diagnosis of whooping cough: Comparison of Serological Tests with Isolation of Bordetella pertussis. British Medical Journal iv, 637–639.Google Scholar
Department of Health and Social Security and the Welsh Office (1977). Control of communicable disease in schools. Prepared in consultation with the Department of Education and Science.Google Scholar
Donald, A. B. (1938). The diagnosis of whooping-cough. British Medical Journal ii, 613–618.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Islur, J., Anglin, C. S. & Middleton, P. J. (1975). The whooping cough syndrome: A continuing pediatric problem. Clinical Pediatrics 14, 171–176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Preston, N. W. (1976). Prevalent serotypes of Bordetella pertussis in non-vaccinated communities. Journal of Hygiene 77, 85–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Public Health Laboratory Service (1978). Communicable Disease Reports. No. 19.Google Scholar
Public Health Laboratory Service (1980).Communicable Disease Reports. No. 45.Google Scholar
Public Health Laboratory Service Whooping Cough Committee and Working Party (1973). Efficacy of whooping cough vaccines used in the United Kingdom before 1968. British Medical Journal ii, 259–262.Google Scholar
Sutcliffe, E. M. & Abbott, J. D. (1972). Selective medium for the isolation of Bordetella pertussis and parapertussis. Journal of Clinical Pathology 25, 732–733.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swansea Research Unit Of the Royal College of General Practitioners (1981). Effect of a low pertussis vaccination uptake on a large community. British Medical Journal 282, 1–10.Google Scholar
Walker, E. (1979). Whooping cough in Glasgow (1969–1979). Communicable Diseases in Scotland 46, 7–10.Google Scholar