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Although Bordetella pertussis is the primary pathogen associated with pertussis, other species of Bordetella have been detected in the respiratory tracts of individuals with pertussis-like symptoms. Diagnosis of pertussis from nasopharyngeal swab specimens is often based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of the insertion sequence IS481, many copies of which are present in the B. pertussis genome. However, because this sequence is also found (albeit in fewer copies) in the genome of Bordetella holmesii and sometimes in that of Bordetella bronchiseptica, such testing is not species-specific.
From May 9, 2010, to May 7, 2011, an outbreak of pertussis-like illness occurred in Franklin County, Ohio, with 645 confirmed, 29 probable, and…