Whooping Cough (Pertussis): Causes, Symptoms, Transmission, Treatment and Prevention
Whooping cough (also known as "pertussis") is a serious and contagious infection that spreads easily from one person to another through coughing and sneezing. Whooping cough is caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis, located in the respiratory tract. The infection causes a violent and uncontrollable cough that can make breathing difficult and may require hospitalization.
Before the development of the vaccine, whooping cough was considered a childhood disease. Currently, whooping cough mainly affects children under 6 months who have not completed their mandatory vaccination schedules, as well as adolescents or adults whose immunity has waned. Many babies who get whooping cough are infected by older siblings, parents, or caregivers who may not even know they have the disease.
Deaths associated with whooping cough are rare but occur most frequently in infants. Therefore, it is important that pregnant women and other people who will have close contact with an infant be vaccinated against whooping cough.
Transmission
Whooping cough spreads from person to person through coughing, sneezing, or close contact. People who show symptoms can spread the disease before the onset of symptoms and up to 3 weeks after the cough begins.
Whooping cough can be transmitted to vulnerable infants who have not yet received any or all of their vaccines.
Symptoms
The incubation period is 7-14 days on average, but it can extend up to 21 days.
Symptoms begin approximately 1 to 3 weeks after contact with the bacteria. They occur in 3 stages. The first stage can last between 1 and 2 weeks. Symptoms include:
- mild cough
- mild fever
- stuffy nose
The second stage can last between 1 and 6 weeks, but it can extend up to 10 weeks. Symptoms include:
- coughing that gets worse and occurs in severe fits
- coughing that can be triggered by several factors (crying, outdoor activities, eating)
- dry cough
- vomiting
The third stage (recovery) extends over a period of several weeks or even months, during which the cough improves and vomiting stops.
Whooping cough causes a feeling of suffocation and long coughing fits, making breathing difficult. Infected people try to gasp for air between coughing fits. After a fit of whooping cough, a child may turn blue due to a lack of air or may vomit. Babies may develop pneumonia, have slowed or stopped breathing, or seizures (convulsions). In the case of babies, complications can be serious, even fatal.
The disease can last up to 3 months, and a previous infection does not provide permanent immunity, so it can occur again.
Symptoms can appear slightly differently in each child. In babies, the cough can be very hard to hear. Babies may have a pause in breathing (apnea) instead of a cough. If you notice this, call your child's healthcare provider or take the child to the hospital immediately.
Whooping cough symptoms may be similar to other health conditions. Your child should be seen by a healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Diagnosis
Whooping cough can be difficult to diagnose because early symptoms can be similar to a common cold or bronchitis.
To diagnose whooping cough, the doctor will perform a physical exam and collect mucus samples from the nose and throat. These samples will then be tested to detect the presence of the B. pertussis bacteria. A blood test may also be necessary to establish an accurate diagnosis.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the infected person's symptoms, age, tolerance to certain medications, and general health condition. In severe cases, the doctor will recommend admitting the patient for monitoring and intravenous administration of medication.
Most of the time, treatment for whooping cough is done at home and consists of:
- feeding the child small and frequent meals
- high fluid intake (water, broths, soups, natural fruit juices)
- eliminating factors that can aggravate the disease, such as smoke
There are several antibiotics available for treating whooping cough, and early treatment is very important. Treatment can improve symptoms and shorten the amount of time a person is contagious, which can help prevent the spread of the disease in communities. Whooping cough can sometimes be very serious, requiring hospitalization, especially in the case of babies and small children.
Prevention
Whooping cough can be prevented by vaccination, regardless of age. The whooping cough vaccine is free for children and for pregnant women between 16-36 weeks.
The vaccine helps the immune system produce antibodies against the bacteria specific to whooping cough and is usually administered concomitantly with the diphtheria and tetanus vaccine.
Babies and children (up to the age of 6) should receive 5 doses of the vaccine for maximum protection – one dose at 2, 4, and 6 months, one at 15-18 months, and another at 3-7 years. In rooms where there have been people suspected or sick with whooping cough, it is recommended to use micro-aero-flora disinfectants and surface disinfectants.
Pregnant women should receive a single dose of Tdap, preferably early in the third trimester of each pregnancy, to help protect the mother and the baby. Antibodies are passed to the fetus in utero and can protect them during the first months of life.
It is also important that people who care for children and those who are around infants be up to date with their whooping cough vaccination.
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/pertussis
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whooping-cough/symptoms-causes/syc-20378973
https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/pubinfo/pregvaccs/pertussis/whoopingcoughrom.pdf
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=whooping-cough-pertussis-in-children-90-P02533
https://www.sfatulmedicului.ro/Rujeola-si-alte-boli-ale-copilariei/tusea-convulsiva-infectia-cu-bordetella-pertussis-sau-tusea-magareasca_629#Simptome
https://vaccination-info.eu/ro/fisele-de-informare-despre-boli/tusea-convulsiva
