PERTUSSIS DISEASE

THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP AN ASSAY FOR BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS FROM NASOPHARYNGEAL OR THROAT SWABS TO SCREEN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH SEVERE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS ANDOLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH THE DISEASE. ALTHOUGH VACCINES HAVE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CASES, THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL CASES MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. STANDARD DETECTION METHODS SUCH AS CULTURING AND DIRECT FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUES ARE INSENSITIVE AND NON-SPECIFIC. AN ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY WHICH DETECTS INFECTIOUS ORGANISMS DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE DISEASE WILL ALLOW EFFECTIVE INITIATION OF ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT. HIGHLY SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES AND ENZYME SYSTEMS WILL BE USED TO INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF B. PERTUSSIS IN CLINICAL SPECIMANS. THE ORGANISM ANTIBODY-ENZYME(S) IMMUNE COMPLEX WILL BE TRAPPED ON A MEMBRANE FILTER AND A SUBSTRATE/CHROMOGEN SOLUTION WILL THEN BE ADDED. COLOR PRODUCTION WILL INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF INFECTIOUS B. PERTUSSIS. THIS METHOD DOES NOT REQUIRE ELABORATE AND EXPENSIVE LABORATORY EQUIPMENT. THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS DETECTION SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BE DEMONSTRATED IN PHASE I. AN ASSAY SENSITIVE TO VERY LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF PATHOGENIC ORGANISIMS IS EXPECTED TO BE OPTIMIZED IN PHASE II. DURING PHASE II, THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONVERTED TO A SIMPLE, SPECIFIC, DIP-STRIP ASSAY.