What is Pertussis (whooping cough):
Your child can be exposed to pertussis and you may never know it, it is a hidden disease in adults and older children that becomes deadly for infants under 15 months. NO baby is safe from this and parents need to know that. It is as common and contagious as the common cold. Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is caused by a bacterium (germ), Bordetella pertussis, that lives in the mouth, nose and throat but ultimately affects the lungs. The germ is highly contagious and is easily spread from person-to-person. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a potentially deadly bacterial infection that can strike at any age, but is particularly dangerous for babies. The sounds of pertussis are like no other, marked by a “whoop” made when gasping for breath after a severe coughing attack. Although in some cases the cough is the same, but the marked "whoop" may not be present.
Adults and older children can have pertussis and never know it, it does not affect them the way it affects infants. They may get it over without ever even getting treatment but they can also pass it on to a baby who cannot overcome it without treatment. Perfectly healthy babies can loose their lives to this disease in the blink of an eye.
Despite the effectiveness of vaccination, pertussis continues to occur in the United States among all age groups. Anyone who has not had pertussis previously or who has not received the pertussis vaccine can get the disease. Immunity following disease or vaccination is not lifelong. Older children, adolescents and adults can become susceptible to pertussis five-to 10-years after their last dose of pertussis-containing vaccine. Older children and adults can carry the germ and spread it even though their cold-like symptoms may be so mild they might not seek medical care.
Symptoms usually appear five-to 10-days after exposure, but can take as long as 21 days. The first symptoms are similar to those of a common cold -with cough being the most prominent. Some children will only have hte cough, fever is usually mild to none and some children, particaulary older children, may exhibit severe cold like symptoms. Runny nose, sneezing, etc. The cough gradually becomes severe and, after one to two weeks, the patient has spasmodic bursts of numerous, rapid coughs. The characteristic high-pitched "whoop," which is more common in children, comes from breathing in after a coughing episode. During such an attack, the patient may turn blue, vomit and become exhausted. Between coughing attacks, the patient usually appears normal.
Coughing attacks occur more frequently at night. The attacks increase in frequency for a couple of weeks, remain at the same level for two-to three-weeks, and then gradually decrease. Coughing may last as long as 100 days. Cough medicines usually do not help eliminate this cough. Recovery is gradual, but coughing episodes can recur for months after the onset of pertussis.
How is it spread?
Pertussis spreads easily from person to person. People get pertussis by breathing in droplets expelled from the nose or throat of an infected person during coughing or sneezing. It is also spread by direct contact with discharges from the nose or throat of an infected personComplications of Pertussis:
- Babies may bleed behind the eyes and in the brain from coughing.
- The most common complication is bacterial pneumonia. About 1 child in 10 with pertussis also gets pneumonia, and about 1 in every 50 will have convulsions.
- Brain damage occurs in 1 out of every 250 children who get pertussis.
- Pertussis is one of the top causes of infant deaths each year in the United States.
Pertussis is usually treated with a multi-day course of a mixture of appropriate antibiotics, such as azythromycin, erythromycin or clarithromycin, or an acceptable alternative. Most infants need to be hospitalized and given oxygen. People in close contact with children or adults with pertussis usually need to be treated with antibiotics and efforts should be taken to minimize an infant’s exposure to children and adults with cough illnesses.
Prevention:
Every child should get pertussis vaccine at 2, 4, 6 and 15 months of age and another dose at 4 to 6 years of age. This vaccine is given in the same shot with diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. Though this does not provide 100% immunity, by the time the child is 15 months old they should have had enough of the vaccine to fight off a pertussis infection quite well. However babies who have had only the first few doses of the vaccine are still at great risk. Adults and older children should receive a booster shot to prevent the spread of pertussis
New booster vaccines became available in 2005 that offer continued protection against pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus for adolescents and adults. These vaccines have been added to the recommended schedule of vaccinations for adolescents. Adults with routine contact with infants less than 12 months of age should receive a booster dose.
To stem the rising incidence of pertussis, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending that kids 11-18 years old get a booster shot of the vaccine, ideally when they're 11 or 12 years old.
To reduce the spread of pertussis from unprotected adults to infants, in November the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that adults ages 19 to 64 get a newly-formulated booster shot of tetanus, reduced diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap vaccine) to replace the previously recommended 10-year tetanus-diphtheria (Td vaccine) booster. Getting the booster shot is especially stressed for adults who will have close contact with an infant who is less than 1 year old, ideally at least 1 month before the contact.
Respiratory etiquette and good hand washing.
Keep infants away from people with coughing illnesses.
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