The deadly cough that is making a comeback decades later
Photo Credits: Sebastian Kaulitzki via Shutterstock, Examiner.com
Name
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
Transmission
- Only in humans
- Caused by the bacteria called Bordetella pertussis
- Highly contagious and spread through respiratory particles/droplets (these particles are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes and can be inhaled by others)
Geography
Worldwide
Incubation Period
7 – 10 days after infection
Signs and Symptoms
Phase One
- Fever
- Mild cough
- Runny nose
Phase Two
- Severe cough and coughing fits
- Whooping/wheezing after coughing
- Exhaustion after coughing
- Vomiting after coughing
Diagnosis
Laboratory testing of mucous or blood sample
Treatment
- There are vaccines available
- Antibiotics
Prognosis
- Infants and young children are at highest risk for serious complications and death
- Can be deadly for babies less than a year old
- Without complications, pertussis takes several weeks to gradually resolve, though coughing can persist for several months
Prevention: What Can You Do?
- Get the vaccine (there is a children’s vaccine and an adult booster vaccine)
- Avoid contact with materials and surfaces that may be contaminated
- Practice good hygiene by washing your hands, covering your mouth/nose when you cough or sneeze, and properly disposing all used tissues
Pertussis In the News
- Why Pertussis Is Making a Comeback
- More than 150 cases of whooping cough reported in Sydney by March 2016
- Study: vaccine refusers helped spark recent measles and whooping cough outbreaks
Sources:
http://www.who.int/topics/pertussis/en/
http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/index.html
