Pertussis in adults
T. Aoyama, Y. Takeuchi, A. Goto, H. Iwai, Y. Murase and T. Iwata
Department of Pediatrics, Kawasaki Municipal Hospital, Japan.
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.
