Bordetella Pertussis PCR

Overview
Department	Microbiology - Molecular
Test Code	BPCR
Synonyms	Bordetella pertussis PCR whooping cough PCR
Availability	Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm
Turnaround Time	72 hours
Stability - Add test
Specimen Requirements
Specimen Type
Specimen Transportation	ASAP to Laboratory If there is a delay in getting sample to the laboratory, please store sample chilled (2 - 8 degrees Celsius)
Preferred	Nasopharyngeal, Pernasal swab in Universal / Virus transport medium (UTM/VTM)
Acceptable
Unacceptable	Leaking samples Unlabelled samples
Paediatric Requirements	Nasopharyngeal, Pernasal swab in UTM/VTM
Aliquot Requirements
Sample Type
Preferred Volume
Minimum Volume
Aliquot Transportation
Clinical Information
Diagnostic use/ Indications	Pertussis, also known as whopping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by a Gram-negative coccobacillus Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis is a Section B Notifiable Infectious Diseases Under the Health Act 1956. Nucleic acid detection after PCR amplification is more sensitive than culture. During the first 3 weeks of cough PCR sensitivity for detection of B. pertussis is high but drops substantially thereafter. For optimal assay sensitivity specimens should be taken from the posterior nasopharynx. Other species of the genus B. parapertussis and B. holmesii are known to exhibit clinical manifestations of respiratory infection similar to a pertussis-like disease, however these are not notifiable.
Reference Intervals	Results reported as DETECTED or NOT Detected for  Bordetella pertussis Bordetella parapertussis Bordetella holmesii
Test Method	Real-time PCR for the qualitative detection and differentiation of DNA from Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis and/or Bordetella holmesii.
Advanced Notice	Not required
Patient Preparation	Not required
Comments
Influenza A/B and RSV, SAR-CoV-2 and Full Respiratory Multiplex may be carried out on the same nasopharyngeal swab. Please note: Testing of the full respiratory multiplex assay does not carry the same turnaround times of the Influenza A/B, RSV and SARS-CoV-2 test(s) as the sample is forwarded to a reference laboratory.