THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERTUSSIS SYMPTOMATOLOGY, INCIDENCE AND SEROLOGY IN ADOLESCENTS

Adolescents have an unknowntrue incidence of pertussis and are important reservoirs of transmission.Weevaluated the incidence of coughing illnesses, serologic evidence of recent infection and the relationshipbetween symptomatology and serology in adolescents. A retrospective respiratory questionnaire and antipertussistoxin immunoglobulin G measurementwas undertaken in a convenience sample of adolescentsand was repeated one year later. The US Centers for Disease Control clinical case definition of pertussiswas used. At least a third of coughing illnesses met the CDC clinical case definition. Symptoms correlatedwith serology. Pertussis was endemic with a high annual incidence of new infections