Evidence for an Etiologic Role of Adenoviral Infection in Pertussis Syndrome

Abstract

Eleven of 13 infants and children with the clinical diagnosis of pertussis syndrome were excreting adenovirus Type 1, 2, 3 or 5 from the respiratory, intestinal or genitourinary tract. Seven of these patients had serologic evidence of recent or current infection. In all patients cultures for Bordetella pertussis or parapertussis were negative, and the majority had no evidence of pertussis infection, as determined by rises in antipertussis agglutinins. These findings add to the evidence of an etiologic association between adenoviral infection and the pertussis syndrome in cases occurring sporadically.