Rapid diagnosis of pertussis

A rapid and sensitive method has been devised for the detection of Bordetella pertussis in clinical samples. The feasibility of the technique, which is based upon enzymatic assay of adenylate cyclase associated with the intact B. pertussis organisms, has been demonstrated in laboratory simulations. In the present study, we evaluated this novel diagnostic method using clinical specimens obtained from 120 children with suspected pertussis. Levels of adenylate cyclase activity in these specimens were highly correlated with culture results; intermediate and high levels in 28 samples predicted positive cultures in 23 (82%). Further, the adenylate cyclase assay results were obtained 2-7 days earlier than the results of cultures. Among 92 specimens with low levels of adenylate cyclase activity, only 11 were positive in culture. We conclude that adenylate cyclase assays may be suitable for rapid diagnosis of pertussis in children and might facilitate early and effective intervention.