Fast Method of Diagnosis of Pertussis during the Catarrhal Period of the Disease

Abstract : The fluorescent antibody technique makes it possible to establish the diagnosis of pertussis during the catarrhal period of the disease -- a period in which the disease is particularly difficult to identify -- in less than one hour. This technique is more sensitive than the method of cultivating nasopharyngeal mucus on Bordet-Gengou's medium during the catarrhal period (95% compared with 86%). However, after this period this technique must always be accompanied by a bacteriological diagnosis which becomes more sensitive after the first week of coughing fits (85% compared with 75%).