| PERTUSSIS (WHOOPING COUGH) |
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About the Disease
Also called Whooping Cough, pertussis is an illness that strikes
mainly in childhood, though it also affects adolescents and adults. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.
Pertussis is airborne, so it is possible to become infected with the disease by being in the same room with someone who has it.
There is a widely-available vaccine for pertussis. Nevertheless, it is the only vaccine-preventable
childhood illness that has continued to rise over the last twenty years.
Six cases of pertussis were reported in Mississippi in 2001. Five of these cases were in children less than three months old.
Children under one year old are much more likely to catch pertussis than any other age group.
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| AT A GLANCE |
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What it is: Pertussis is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, and may at first
appear to be a common cold. It mainly affects children under one year of age, and is commonly called Whooping Cough, due
to the noise patients make in between long coughing spells. |
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Transmission: People may catch pertussis by inhaling contaminated droplets of an infected
person's cough or sneeze. It is highly contagious. Experts believe that 70-100% of all non-immunized family members
will develop whooping cough if they live in the same household as an infected person.
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Symptoms: The first symptoms are similar to those of a common cold,
but after about one or two weeks, coughing may last for more than a minute. Between coughing spells,
the patient may make the characteristic "whooping" sound while gasping for air while coughing.
The cough will likely produce a thick mucous. Lips and nails may
turn blue from lack of oxygen, and the patient can be exhausted from so much coughing.
Recovery from Pertussis is slow. There are usually one to two weeks of common cold symptoms,
followed by two to four weeks of severe coughing.Recovery takes three to
four weeks, during which coughing is less severe.
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Prevention: There is a vaccine available, as part of the DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis)
immunization. DtaP immunizations are given in five doses before a child turns six years old.
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Treatment:Whooping Cough is usually treated in the hospital. At home, make your child
more comfortable by using a cool-mist vaporizer in your child's room to help soothe irritated lungs.
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| FOR MORE INFORMATION |
Find out more
For further information, contact your local health office,
or call our Health Info Hotline at 1-866-HLTHY4U (1-866-458-4948).
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