Contact tracing for pertussis
CMAJ 1999;160:786
We were delighted to see a concise summary of the problem of pertussis in the CMAJ Public Health column [full text].1 However, medical practice in our region differs in one important respect. Authors Theresa Tam and Adwoa Bentsi-Enchill indicate that if a symptomatic patient is clearly linked to a laboratory-confirmed case, no nasophabyngeal swab is needed. This is the opposite of our investigative approach. We are interested in confirming all cases, so that our contact tracing net can be cast as widely as possible. Physicians in our region are encouraged to obtain a swab from all symptomatic contacts when antibiotic prophylaxis is started.
Practitioners on the "front lines" eagerly await 3 major changes that will reduce patients' suffering from this condition. First is the administration of a safe, effective vaccine to all members of the population at large. In this regard, is the new acellular pertussis vaccine the answer? We are also looking forward to widespread use of a more rapid, economical and reliable diagnostic test, so that contact tracting can be done earlier. Finally, we are hoping for federal approval of other antibiotics for indications of pertussis that might result in better elimination of the organism through superior compliance (e.g., azithromycin).
David F. Ross, MD
Ministry of Health
Southeastern New Brunswick
Pauline Pogonat-Bourque, RN
Public Health Infection Control
Moncton, NB
 |
Send a letter to the editor Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction |
Reference
- Tam TWS, Bentsi-Enchill A. The return of the 100-day cough: resurgence of pertussis in the 1990s. CMAJ 1998;159(6):695-6
