[Pertussis: current aspects of diagnosis, therapy and prevention]. / Pertussis: Aktuelles zu Diagnostik, Therapie und Prävention.

ABSTRACT

Pertussis (whooping cough) may occur at any age. Beside the typical course of the disease in three stages, atypical courses are observed not infrequently, particularly in adults. In early pertussis, isolation of Bordetella pertussis from nasopharyngeal secretions is the diagnostic method of choice. The polymerase chain reaction is a promising, albeit still investigational diagnostic method. In longstanding cough, serology is the method of choice. Pertussis is treated with erythromycin in high doses for 2 weeks. For prevention of the disease, the new acellular vaccines are to be preferred.