Novel multitarget LAMP and PCR assays for the detection of Bordetella species

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious disease caused by several Bordetella species and continues to pose a significant global public health concern. The rising incidence of pertussis highlights the urgent need for effective public health strategies to address Bordetella infections. Rapid and species-specific diagnostic tools are essential for preventing Bordetella transmission and are vital components of anti-infective measures. This study aimed to develop novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays for the detection of four Bordetella species responsible for human respiratory tract infections: B. pertussis, B. parapertussis, B. bronchiseptica, and B. holmesii. The qPCR assay demonstrated a low limit of detection (LoD), reliably identifying up to 5 copies of target DNA per reaction. The LAMP assays were approximately three times faster than qPCR (30 min) but had higher LoDs. Notably, qLAMP had a limit of detection of 25 copies per reaction for all four Bordetella species. In contrast, vLAMP had a LoD of 25 copies per reaction for B. pertussis and B. parapertussis; and a LoD of 50 copies per reaction for B. holmesii and B. bronchiseptica. We validated the assays using nasal swab samples from patients with respiratory tract infections, analyzing a total of 651 samples with qPCR and 145 samples with LAMP. Both assays exhibited no cross-reactivity with common viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens. The concordance rate between qPCR and LAMP was 94.5%, underscoring the reliability of both methods for clinical application. These findings suggest that the developed qPCR and LAMP tests can be successfully integrated into clinical practice for the detection and management of Bordetella infections.