POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION FOR THE DETECTION OF BORDETELLA-PERTUSSIS IN CLINICAL NASOPHARYNGEAL ASPIRATES

A PCR procedure for the detection of Bordetella pertussis in nasophary ngeal aspirates (NPAs) was developed with primers derived from the per tussis toxin promoter region, The amplification resulted in a 191-bp P CR product specific for B. pertussis. A total of 681 NPAs collected fr om children with cough lasting >7 days was evaluated by PCR and cultur e; 104 aspirates were positive by PCR and 93 by culture, Sixteen cases were positive only by PCR and five culture positive aspirates were ne gative by PCR, An internal control was included in the assay to monito r the performance of the PCR and to identify possible inhibitory compo nents in clinical samples, The PCR method was more efficient than cult ure in detecting B. pertussis in samples collected late in the disease , in antibiotic-treated children and in patients with mild disease.