Pertussis and respiratory syncytial virus infections

• Published in: European journal of pediatrics Vol. 167; no. 9; pp. 1017 - 1019
• Main Authors: Cosnes-Lambe, Cécile, Raymond, Josette, Chalumeau, Martin, Pons-Catalano, Charlotte, Moulin, Florence, Suremain, Nathalie de, Reglier-Poupet, Hélène, Lebon, Pierre, Poyart, Claire, Gendrel, Dominique
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.09.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacterial diseases; Bacterial infections; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchopneumonia; Ent and stomatologic bacterial diseases; Female; General aspects; Hospitals, Pediatric; Human bacterial diseases; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunization; Infant; Infants; Infections; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Paris - epidemiology; Pediatrics; Pertussis; Pertussis Vaccine - administration & dosage; Polymerase chain reaction; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - complications; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses - isolation & purification; Respiratory tract diseases; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Vaccines; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases; Viruses; Whooping cough; Whooping Cough - complications; Whooping Cough - epidemiology; Whooping Cough - prevention & control; Paris; France; Paris France; Pertussis; Infants; RSV coinfection; Human; Human respiratory syncytial virus; Pediatrics; Mixed infection; Pneumovirinae; Respiratory disease; Infant; Respiratory system; Paramyxoviridae; Whooping cough; Infection; Virus; Respiratory tract; Pertussis RSV coinfection Infants; Mononegavirales; Viral disease; Bacteriosis; Pneumovirus
• ISSN: 0340-6199; 1432-1076
• DOI: 10.1007/s00431-007-0633-6

During the winter 2005–2006, all infants <4 months of age admitted for bronchiolitis or acute respiratory tract infection in a tertiary care pediatric hospital in Paris were tested for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pertussis with real-time polymerase-chain reaction (RT-PCR). A positive pertussis-PCR was found in 14/90 (16%) infants infected with RSV and in 5/30 negative for RSV. Similar clinical symptoms were found in all RSV-positive infants with or without pertussis co-infection. Most infants (73%) were not vaccinated against pertussis, and the other children had received one or two injections. In conclusion, pertussis-RSV co-infection is common in young infants, and pertussis-PCR should be used, whenever available.