Objective: Pertussis is a contagious respiratory tract infection caused by Bordetella pertussis that can affect all age groups despite widespread vaccination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the complaints of prolonged cough due to B. pertussis infection in individuals aged 18 years and older using culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serologic tests.

Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Ankara, focusing on individuals aged ≥ 18 years who reported coughing symptoms lasting for two weeks or longer. The study included 68 adults with coughing symptoms persisting for more than two weeks and 65 control individuals without coughing symptoms. Nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from the participants were used for culture and PCR. Additionally, sera derived from the blood samples of patients were evaluated using serological tests to ascertain the presence of antibodies against B. pertussis.

Results: Detection of B. pertussis in culture was not possible. However, 22% of the patients tested positive for PCR, and 13% were found to have positive Anti- Pertussis Toxin IgG levels. The average age of the patients with positive diagnostic test results was 38.5, while the average age was determined as 36.8.

Conclusion: Although the culture method is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of pertussis, PCR was found to be more sensitive than culture in the present study. Pertussis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of prolonged cough symptoms in adults. Furthermore, there is a need to raise awareness regarding pertussis and conduct broader studies.