The re-emergence of pertussis in Tunisia

The authors had for aim to analyze pertussis epidemiology in Tunisia by studying nasopharyngeal specimens of infants hospitalized in Tunis. Between march 2007 and march 2008, clinical nasopharyngeal samples were collected from infants with a suspected diagnosis of whooping cough, pertussoid cough, or pertussis-like syndrome, admitted at the Tunis children's hospital. The laboratory diagnostic criteria were culture isolation of Bordetella species on Bordet-Gengou medium and real-time PCR. Fifty-nine percent of the 74 investigated children with suspected pertussis were less than two months of age. The diagnosis of pertussis was proved positive by real-time PCR for 41%. Culture was negative in all cases. Whooping cough is still prevalent in Tunisia despite an important vaccination coverage. Real-time PCR is an invaluable tool for the rapid diagnosis of pertussis, however culture must also be associated.