Journal List > Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis > v.21(1) > 1033152

Seo, Kim, Kim, Kim, Park, Park, Lee, and Kim: Three Cases of Pertussis in Infants younger than Three Months without Immunization of DTaP

Abstract

Pertussis is a pediatric infectious disease with one of the highest degrees of infectivity. Although pertussis may cause asymptomatic infections in children and adults with immunity, it can cause life-threatening diseases in newborn babies or infants. We report three cases of pertussis in infants ˂ 3 months of age without DTaP immunization who have received symptomatic treatment with the diagnosis of bronchiolitis from other hospitals, and subsequently correctly diagnosed and treated. The patients did not have the characteristic whooping cough, but the main symptoms were episodic cough, intermittent vomiting, and cyanosis. Based on culture results for Bordetella pertussis and PCR, pertussis was diagnosed and treated without any complications. As it is assumed that adults, adolescents, and asymptomatic patients may serve as sources of infection, immunization with Tdap vaccine is recommended to prevent dissemination of pertussis from adolescents and adults to infants, and thus maintain herd immunity.

References

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Fig. 1.
Detection of B. pertussis by polymerase chain reaction. (A) Lane 1, 100bp DNA ladder; Lane 2, Negative control; Lane 3, Positive control(B. pertussis); Lane 4, case 1 sample (B) Lane 1, 100bp DNA ladder; Lane 2, case 2 sample; Lane 3, Positive control; Lane 4, Negative control (C) Lane 1, 100bp DNA ladder; Lane 2, Negative control; Lane 3, Positive control; Lane 4, case 3 sample, Lane 5, case 3 sample
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Table 1.
Clinical Details of One Neonate and Two Infant with Pertussis
Case Age and sex Signs and symptoms Duration of cough (days) Diagnosis at other hospitals Leukocyte count×103/μL (%lymphocyte) DTaP vaccination Laboratory test
PCR Culture
1 20 days (M) paroxysmal cough vomiting, cyanosis 20 Bronchiolitis 22.45 (68.0) +
2 78 days (M) paroxysmal cough cyanosis 24 Bronchiolitis 17.84 (78.0) + +
3 75 days (M) paroxysmal cough cyanosis 28 Bronchiolitis 21.05 (67.9) +
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