Do not let perfect be the enemy of good: the current reality of Bordetella testing

ABSTRACT Diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis is made by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect insertion sequence 481 (IS481). However, IS481 is found in both B. pertussis and Bordetella holmesii. In a recent study, Cole et al. (Microbiol Spectr 12:e00783-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum....

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Main Author: Rebecca Yee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2025-01-01
Series:Microbiology Spectrum
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Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02210-24
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author Rebecca Yee
author_facet Rebecca Yee
author_sort Rebecca Yee
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis is made by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect insertion sequence 481 (IS481). However, IS481 is found in both B. pertussis and Bordetella holmesii. In a recent study, Cole et al. (Microbiol Spectr 12:e00783-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00783-24) compared the accuracy of assays performed at two different commercial laboratories that used IS481 as a molecular target against a multiplex PCR assay performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that can differentiate the different Bordetella species. The results demonstrated that the overall agreement among the assays from the commercial laboratories and the CDC was 85%. Only a small percentage (1.4%) of specimens positive for IS481 were identified as B. holmesii. This study suggests that PCR tests using IS481 as a target provide reliable diagnosis for pertussis. However, end users should recognize the limitations of PCR testing for pertussis including the inability to differentiate and monitor transmission of non-pertussis Bordetella species.
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spelling doaj-art-4ca19220ba8340a8b053aa30204871342025-01-07T14:05:18ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972025-01-0113110.1128/spectrum.02210-24Do not let perfect be the enemy of good: the current reality of Bordetella testingRebecca Yee0Department of Pathology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USAABSTRACT Diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis is made by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect insertion sequence 481 (IS481). However, IS481 is found in both B. pertussis and Bordetella holmesii. In a recent study, Cole et al. (Microbiol Spectr 12:e00783-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00783-24) compared the accuracy of assays performed at two different commercial laboratories that used IS481 as a molecular target against a multiplex PCR assay performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that can differentiate the different Bordetella species. The results demonstrated that the overall agreement among the assays from the commercial laboratories and the CDC was 85%. Only a small percentage (1.4%) of specimens positive for IS481 were identified as B. holmesii. This study suggests that PCR tests using IS481 as a target provide reliable diagnosis for pertussis. However, end users should recognize the limitations of PCR testing for pertussis including the inability to differentiate and monitor transmission of non-pertussis Bordetella species.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02210-24Bordetella real time-PCRnon-pertussis Bordetellapertussis diagnosticspertussis surveillance
spellingShingle Rebecca Yee
Do not let perfect be the enemy of good: the current reality of Bordetella testing
Microbiology Spectrum
Bordetella real time-PCR
non-pertussis Bordetella
pertussis diagnostics
pertussis surveillance
title Do not let perfect be the enemy of good: the current reality of Bordetella testing
title_full Do not let perfect be the enemy of good: the current reality of Bordetella testing
title_fullStr Do not let perfect be the enemy of good: the current reality of Bordetella testing
title_full_unstemmed Do not let perfect be the enemy of good: the current reality of Bordetella testing
title_short Do not let perfect be the enemy of good: the current reality of Bordetella testing
title_sort do not let perfect be the enemy of good the current reality of bordetella testing
topic Bordetella real time-PCR
non-pertussis Bordetella
pertussis diagnostics
pertussis surveillance
url https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02210-24
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