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Improving specificity of Bordetella pertussis detection using a four target real-time PCR

Journal Contribution - Journal Article

The incidence of whooping cough, a contagious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, is on the rise despite existing vaccination programmes. Similar, though usually milder, respiratory symptoms may be caused by other members of the Bordetella genus: B. parapertussis, B. holmesii, and B. bronchiseptica. Pertussis diagnosis is mostly done using PCR, but the use of multiple targets is necessary in order to differentiate the different Bordetella spp. with sufficient sensitivity and specificity. In this study we evaluate a multiplex PCR assay for the differentiation of B. pertussis from other Bordetella spp., using the targets IS481, IS1001, IS1002, and recA. Moreover, we retrospectively explore the epidemiology of Bordetella spp. infections in Belgium, using the aforementioned assay over a three-year period, from 2013 until 2015.

Journal: PLOS ONE
ISSN: 1932-6203
Issue: 4
Volume: 12
Publication year:2017
Keywords:Belgium, Bordetella pertussis, Humans, Limit of Detection, Molecular Diagnostic Techniques, Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Retrospective Studies, Whooping Cough, Journal Article
CSS-citation score:1
Authors:Regional
Accessibility:Open