Pertussis in Adults

Editorials1 January 1998Pertussis in AdultsJames D. Cherry, MD, MScJames D. Cherry, MD, MScUniversity of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine; Los Angeles, CA 90095.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-128-1-199801010-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail History has a way of creating ironies, and the invitation to write this editorial on pertussis in adults is a case in point. Ten years ago, I was the moderator of an interdepartmental conference at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), entitled, "The Past, Present, and Future of Pertussis. The Role of Adults in Epidemiology and Future Control" [1]. Conferences in this UCLA series were usually published in Annals. To my surprise (and that of the other two authors), our edited summary of the conference was rejected by the then-editor of the journal, with the following explanation: "Although the ...References1. Cherry JD, Baraff LJ, Hewlett E. The past, present, and future of pertussis. The role of adults in epidemiology and future control. West J Med. 1989; 150:319-28. Google Scholar2. Cherry JD. Historical review of pertussis and the classical vaccine. J Infect Dis. 1996; 174 Suppl 3:S259-63. Google Scholar3. Luttinger P. The epidemiology of pertussis. Am J Dis Child. 1916; 12:290-315. Google Scholar4. Madsen T. Whooping cough: its bacteriology, diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Boston Med Surg J. 1925; 192:50-60. Google Scholar5. Nelson JD. The changing epidemiology of pertussis in young infants. The role of adults as reservoirs of infection. Am J Dis Child. 1978; 132:371-3. Google Scholar6. Gan VN, Murphy TV. Pertussis in hospitalized children. Am J Dis Child. 1990; 144:1130-34. Google Scholar7. Christie CD, Baltimore RS. Pertussis in neonates. Am J Dis Child. 1989; 143:1199-202. Google Scholar8. Beiter A, Lewis K, Pineda EF, Cherry JD. Unrecognized maternal peripartum pertussis with subsequent fatal neonatal pertussis. Obstet Gynecol. 1993; 82(4 Pt 2 Suppl):691-3. Google Scholar9. Cherry JD. The epidemiology of pertussis and pertussis immunization in the United Kingdom and the United States: a comparative study. Curr Probl Pediatr. 1984; 14:1-78. Google Scholar10. Mink CM, Cherry JD, Christenson PD, Lewis K, Pineda E, Shlian D, et al. A search for Bordetella pertussis infection in university students. Clin Infect Dis. 1992; 14:464-71. Google Scholar11. Fine PE, Clarkson JA. The recurrence of whooping cough: possible implications for assessments of vaccine efficacy. Lancet. 1982; 1:666-9. Google Scholar12. Schmitt-Grohe S, Cherry JD, Heininger U, Uberall MA, Pineda E, Stehr K. Pertussis in German adults. Clin Infect Dis. 1995; 21:860-6. Google Scholar13. Wirsing von Konig CH, Postels-Multani S, Bock HL, Schmitt HJ. Pertussis in adults: frequency of transmission after household exposure. Lancet. 1995; 346:1326-9. Google Scholar14. Nennig ME, Shinefield HR, Edwards KM, Black SB, Fireman BH. Prevalence and incidence of adult pertussis in an urban population. JAMA. 1996; 275:1672-4. Google Scholar15. Wright SW, Edwards KM, Decker MD, Zeldin MH. Pertussis infection in adults with persistent cough. JAMA. 1995; 273:1044-6. Google Scholar16. Rosenthal S, Strebel P, Cassiday P, Sanden G, Brusuelas K, Wharton M. Pertussis infection among adults during the 1993 outbreak in Chicago. J Infect Dis. 1995; 171:1650-2. Google Scholar17. Robertson PW, Goldberg H, Jarvie BH, Smith DD, Whybin LR. Bordetella pertussis infection: a cause of persistent cough in adults. Med J Aust. 1987; 146:522-5. Google Scholar18. Cherry JD, Beer T, Chartrand SA, DeVille J, Beer E, Olsen MA, et al. Comparison of values of antibody to Bordetella pertussis antigens in young German and American men. Clin Infect Dis. 1995; 20:1271-4. Google Scholar19. Deville JG, Cherry JD, Christenson PD, Pineda E, Leach CT, Kuhls TL, et al. Frequency of unrecognized Bordetella pertussis infections in adults. Clin Infect Dis. 1995; 21:639-42. Google Scholar20. Musher DM, Keitel WA. Severe paroxysmal coughing and pleuritic pain in an adult. Hosp Pract (Off Ed). 1995; 30:65-7. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine; Los Angeles, CA 90095.Grant Support: Dr. Cherry's pertussis studies were supported in part by contracts No1AI15124 and No1AI45249 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and by grants from Lederle-Praxis Biologicals.Corresponding Author: James D. Cherry, MD, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1752. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoDifficulty and Dependence: Two Components of the Disability Continuum among Community-Living Older Persons Thomas M. Gill , Julie T. Robison , and Mary E. 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