Fluorescent Antibody Techniques

The diagnosis of early, mild, or atypical whooping cough is dependent upon identification of the etiologic agent. Although procedures for the isolation of Bordetella pertussis1have been available for many years and are of proven diagnostic aid, they have not gained the wide usage they seem to deserve. A recognized limitation is the time needed: 3, more often 4, and occasionally more, days are required for a positive report. The possibility of using fluorescent antibody methods for rapid identification of B. pertussis in nasopharyngeal specimens is suggested by the promising results reported in recent studies of a number of bacterial infections. For example, Group A streptococci,2,3enteropathogenic Escherichia coli,4Haemophilus influenzae, Type B,5Neisseria gonorrhoeae,6Vibrio comma,7Leptospira,8and certain other bacterial agents have been demonstrated by means of this technique in specimens taken directly from the patient. The work of de Repentigny