Affiliations: Pediatric Infections Research Center, Shahid Beheshti
University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran | Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA | Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Infections
Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,
Iran | Department of Clinical Microbiology, Pediatric
Infections Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,
Tehran, Iran | Gilan Medical University, Rasht, Iran | Department of Biostatistics, Tehran University of
Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: Infections caused by Bordetella pertussis (B. Pertusis), have
recently been reported increasingly even in highly immunized populations. This
is a population-based, descriptive study. Nasopharyngeal sampling was performed
in school children between 6–14 years old with coughing for two weeks or more
but without any proved underlying diseases. The specimens were examined for B.
Pertusis and Bordetella parapertussis (B. parapertusis) by Polymerase chain
reaction and culture. Out of 6601 students, 21 (6.40%) children were found to
be positive by polymerase chain reaction assay for B. Pertusis and 6 (2.43%)
children had this test positive for B. parapertusis. B. Pertusis was detected
in the culture of 4 (1.22%) specimens (all culture positive cases were
positive for Polymerase chain reaction too) and B. parapertusis culture was not
found positive at all. The estimated incidence of pertussis in this age group
was 318/100000 and for B. parapertusis was 2/100000. Pertussis has to be
considered as one of the etiologies of prolonged cough in children and adolescents in Iran.
