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The role of adenoviruses in the pertussis syndrome
Insights
Adenoviruses frequently co-occur with pertussis syndrome in children. While commonly found in mixed infections, adenoviruses appear to play a secondary role in the pathogenesis of pertussis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease.
- The role of adenoviruses in the clinical presentation of pertussis has not been clearly defined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between adenovirus infections and pertussis syndrome in children.
- To determine if adenoviruses play an independent role in the pathogenesis of pertussis.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 134 children with clinical pertussis and a control group of healthy children.
- Bacterial cultures for Bordetella pertussis and viral cultures for adenoviruses were performed.
- Statistical analysis to compare infection rates between groups.
Main Results:
- Adenovirus infections were significantly more common in children with pertussis syndrome (22.4%) compared to controls (4.9%).
- Adenoviruses were isolated in 39.1% of patients with confirmed B. pertussis and in 13.6% of patients with clinical pertussis but negative B. pertussis cultures.
- Clinical presentation was similar regardless of the presence of adenovirus or B. pertussis.
Conclusions:
- Adenoviruses are frequently associated with the pertussis syndrome in children.
- Adenoviruses are typically part of a mixed infection and do not usually act as the primary pathogen in pertussis.
Abstract:
To define the role of adenoviruses in the pertussis syndrome, a study was done of a group of 134 children with clinical pertussis and a healthy control population of similar age, race, sex, and socioeconomic status. Adenovirus infections occurred in 30 (22.4%) of 134 patients with the pertussis syndrome and 5 (4.9%) of 101 control subjects (p smaller than 0.001). B. pertussis was recovered from 46 (34.3%) patients, and from 18 (39.1%) of these patients adenoviruses were also isolated. Although adenovirus infections also occurred in patients with the pertussis syndrome with negative cultures for B. pertussis, the rate, 12 of 88 patients (13.6%), was significantly lower (p smaller than 0.001). The clinical course was similar irrespective of the results of bacterial or viral cultures. These data substantiate the frequent association of adenoviruses with the pertussis syndrome, It would appear that adenoviruses do not usually have an independent role in the pathogenesis of the pertussis syndrome since we found them so commonly to be one agent in a mixed infection.