BackgroundIn an effort to improve the pertussis diagnosis, the Global Pertussis Initiative (GPI) proposed an algorithm of the signs/symptoms of pertussis for three age groups: 0–3 months, 4 months to 9 years, and ≥10 years of age.MethodsWe evaluated the accuracy of the clinical case definitions for pertussis proposed by the GPI using laboratory-confirmed pertussis as a reference standard for four groups: clinically suspected pertussis without comorbidity; asthma exacerbation; allergic constitution, and other diagnoses (bronchitis, bronchiolitis, laryngitis, and tracheitis). We included only patients who fulfilled one or more criteria of clinical case definitions for the age groups (0–3 months, 4 months–9 years, and ≥10 years of age).The data for this prospective epidemiological study were collected between 1st January 2013–31st December 2016 at the outpatients and inpatients health care settings in the South Bačka District of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia. We evaluated accuracy of the certain sign and symptom combinations of GPI case definitions based on their sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios.ResultsA total of 1043 participants were included, with 306 (29.3%) laboratory-confirmed pertussis cases. In patients aged 0–3 months, whoop and apnoea associated with laboratory confirmation of pertussis. In patients aged 4 months-9 years with a pertussis suspicion infection or with one of the other diagnoses, the highest accuracy was found for whoop combined with apnoea or post-tussive emesis. In patients aged 10 years and older, several different sign and symptom combinations were associated with an increased risk of pertussis among all enrolment diagnoses. There were fewer hospitalizations among the fully vaccinated children than in partly or unvaccinated children aged 4 months to 6 years (20.7% vs. 60.0%, p = 0.017).ConclusionsThe numerous sign and symptom combinations in the observed case definitions were good predictors for laboratory-confirmed pertussis among all enrolment diagnoses, therefore suggesting the necessity for increased awareness of possibility for pertussis in patients with certain pertussis-like medical conditions.

At present, two influenza A viruses, H1N1pdm09 and H3N2, along with influenza B virus co-circulate in the human population, causing endemic and seasonal epidemic acute febrile respiratory infections, sometimes with life-threatening complications. Detection of influenza viruses in nasopharyngeal swab samples was done by real-time RT-PCR. There were 60.2% (53/88) positive samples in 2010/11, 63.4% (52/82) in 2011/12, and 49.9% (184/369) in 2012/13. Among the positive patients, influenza A viruses were predominant during the first two seasons, while influenza B type was more active during 2012/13. Subtyping of influenza A positive samples revealed the presence of A (H1N1)pdm09 in 2010/11, A (H3N2) in 2011/12, while in 2012/13, both subtypes were detected. The highest seroprevalence against influenza A was in the age-group 30-64, and against influenza B in adults aged 30-64 and >65. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR31084]

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In the present paper the laboratory isolation and identification of Bordatella bronchiseptica, the causative agent of canine tracheobronhitis, is described. A dog which suffered persistent cough, loss of appetite and fever was previously unsucceffully treated with antibiotics, which is why nasal swabs were taken and sent for microbiological assessment. The isolation of the causative agent was performed on routinely used standard solid growth mediums. The final identification of the isolate was done with MALDI-TOF (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization - time of flight) and real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) assays. Therapy based on the results of the antibiogram lead to successful recovery. The necessity of cooperation of veterinary clinicians and veterinary microbiologists for timely and reliable identification of the microbe(s) and selection of antimicrobials based on the results of the susceptibility testing is emphasized. The significance of the collaboration between microbiological veterinary laboratories and those dealing with human material is underlined. These can provide precise identification of zoonotic agents.

Although Clostridium tertium is supposed to be a foodborne pathogen, the data on its detection in foodstuff s is scarce, and there are no reports on its isolation from feed. In this communication paper, the isolation of C. tertium from a sample of soya semolina is described. C. tertium may be importantin diff erential diagnosis, when it is to be distinguished from Clostridium perfringens. It is a unique species due to the lack of key characteristics of the genus it belongs to because it grows in the presence of oxygen and does not produce toxins. It has been well-documented as a human pathogen, although its mechanisms of pathogenicity are still unknown. According to sporadic reports in veterinary medicine, it has been identifi ed as a rare causative agent of infections in cattle, pigs, birds and marine mammals.