Etiology of Pertussis Syndrome

Abstract

Keller et al1 reported the interesting finding that 91 of 100 patients with pertussis syndrome were infected with Bordetella pertussis or had been exposed to this agent. Their article, however, did not mention the precise age distribution of the patients who "ranged from six weeks to adulthood." It is possible that the etiologic factors of pertussis syndrome in young infants is somewhat different from the etiology of pertussis syndrome in older children. We believe that the laboratory investigation of pertussis syndrome during the first months of life should include examinations for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in addition to the search for Bordetella, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and viruses, as demonstrated by the following case: A 4-week-old boy with previous history of conjunctivitis was admitted because of paroxysms of staccato cough followed by occasional vomiting or cyanosis.