Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Health and Community Services Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health From: Dr. [...] Janice Fitzgerald, Chief Medical Officer of Health To: Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, and Other Health Care Providers Re: Bordetella pertussis Testing and Prevention Date: May 10, 2024 The Department of Health and Community Services (DHCS) continues to monitor an increase in cases of pertussis (whooping cough) throughout the province, including an outbreak of Pertussis in the Eastern Z. [...] Diagnosis is made through real-time PCR to detect Bordetella pertussis DNA in a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, and requires the same container and method as for respiratory virus PCR (see the Public Health Laboratory memo on respiratory virus testing for reference). [...] After fourth weeks, the amount of bacterial DNA in the NP rapidly diminishes, which increases the risk of a false-negative result. [...] Asymptomatic close contacts of confirmed cases should not be tested and testing of contacts should not be used for determining post-exposure chemoprophylaxis eligibility.
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