Whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis/parapertussis) – genetic testing

• The test is collected at a dedicated Collection Point.
• The test material is a nasopharyngeal swab.
• 3 hours before the examination you should not: eat, drink, rinse your mouth and nose, brush your teeth, chew gum, smoke cigarettes, or take medications (this does not apply to newborns and infants).
• Nose drops should be used before collecting the material.
• The swab should be collected at least two hours after administering intranasal antimicrobial agents (drops, ointments, sprays). The nose should not be rinsed or blown before collection. Samples for this test can be collected up to three to four weeks into the illness, even after initiating antibiotic therapy.

• In children, a nasal swab is taken. The swab is inserted deeper than with standard microbiological swabs.

Samples brought from outside are not accepted for testing.

PCR testing for Bordetella sp. (pertussis and parapertussis) DNA is a highly sensitive diagnostic test that allows for the rapid and precise detection of the genetic material of Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis bacteria in swabs.
Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis are the bacteria responsible for pertussis (whooping cough) and pseudopertussis (a milder form of the disease), which are characterized by persistent cough and can lead to serious health complications, such as purulent pneumonia, otitis media, and even neurological complications such as seizures, encephalopathy, or permanent brain damage, especially in children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems.
Pertussis (whooping cough) is an acute infectious respiratory disease characterized by recurrent coughing attacks and prolonged shortness of breath.
The incubation period is usually around 7-10 days.
Bordetella sp. (pertussis and parapertussis) infection occurs via droplet infection. The bacteria attach to the ciliated epithelium of the bronchi and, through the action of toxins, cause superficial infections. The infection consists of three phases:
I - catarrhal – two weeks after infection, a mild cough and sneezing appear, lasting 1-2 weeks. The patient is highly contagious.
II - severe, tiring cough – accompanied by explosive coughing attacks and choking on inspiration, the so-called inspiratory wheezing resembling a rooster crowing, which can even lead to vomiting, lasting for another 2-3 weeks.
III - convalescent – ​​the recovery phase lasts several weeks and is characterized by a decreasing frequency of coughing.
The incidence of pertussis has decreased in recent years thanks to vaccination. However, studies have shown that post-vaccination immunity against pertussis wanes after approximately 12 years. That's why more and more cases of whooping cough are appearing among school-age children and adolescents. Adults who have long since lost vaccine-induced immunity also develop whooping cough; the disease is milder in them than in children or takes an atypical form of bronchitis. Having had whooping cough leaves lasting immunity, while the risk of infection in unvaccinated individuals (or those vaccinated many years ago) after contact with the pertussis bacillus is over 80%.
NOTE:
Pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of June 26, 2020 (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 1118), a positive test result must be reported by the laboratory performing the test to the District Sanitary and Epidemiological Station.

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