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| Pertussis |
Also known as whooping cough, this condition is a very contagious respiratory problem caused by the bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. The condition can be seen in all age groups but it is more severe in infants because of the violent coughing and difficulty of breathing it can cause. It may even produce permanent disability in these age group.
Bordetella pertussis is a gram negative aerobic coccobacillus spread from an infected person through the air after a cough or a sneeze. Inhaling the contaminated droplets allows the bacteria to enter and colonize the airway thus interfering with the normal mechanism of the body to eliminate foreign materials. It will then begin to produce signs and symptoms which include slight fever, sneezing, red watery eyes, runny nose, and coughing which increases in intensity over several days.
After about two weeks, the infected person begins to have severe prolonged coughing which usually ends with a whooping sound as the individual tries to breathe in air. The sound is common in older children. Severe coughing often leads to vomiting and appearance of tiny red spots on the skin surface and on the white of the eyes. This is called petechiae and is due to rupture of superficial blood vessels. Severe prolonged coughing also interfere with normal breathing and cause difficulty eating and drinking.
The condition can be treated with the use of antibiotics. Other supportive measures can be given depending on the needs of the patient. Oxygen, IV fluids, or sedatives if the patient has trouble in sleeping because of the severe cough.
The vaccine is given to children less than 6 years of age in combination with diptheria and tetanus vaccine (DPT vaccine). With the advent of immunization the incidence of pertussis has already declined. But still the adult population can still have the condition after the effect of the vaccine wanes. Adults are infected to a milder degree but they can still transmit the disease to unimmunized children. It is therefore very important for infants and children to have their immunization. |
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