Pertussis in adults with persistent cough in South Korea

Excerpt

Pertussis is generally considered a childhood disease [1], but recent studies have demonstrated it is a common cause of persistent cough in adults. Possible explanations for the recent increase in reports of adult pertussis include waning vaccine-induced immunity, the development of sensitive diagnostic methods like PCR, changes in surveillance systems, and the emergence of vaccine-resistant strains [2]. Most studies to date have been carried out in Europe and North America [3‐7], while relatively few reports have been issued on the prevalence of adult pertussis in Asia [8]. Since adult patients with pertussis represent a reservoir for Bordetella pertussis, which could be transmitted to infants, in whom the disease can be devastating, it is important that infected adults be identified [3, 9]. In the study reported here, we prospectively surveyed South Korean adults with persistent cough in order to detect pertussis. …