Whooping Cough/Pertussis

Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that attacks the respiratory system and is also what most people know as whooping cough.  This disease causes uncontrollable coughing fits and can often times make it hard for one to breathe. Also considered to be highly contagious, Pertussis is caused by a virus called Bordetella Pertussis, which is a miniscule coccobacillus, or rod-shaped bacteria. These bacteria attach to the cilia that line the upper part of the respiratory system and release toxins that causes inflammation, thus leading to severe coughing.

 Pertussis starts out with cold like symptoms: runny nose, mild cough, sneezing, and sometimes a small, mild fever. Howbeit, after one to two weeks, coughing can worsen and can last for continuous weeks. Pertussis is also known as whooping cough because rapid coughing will cause the air in one’s lungs to exhaust and force them to inhale with a “whooping” sound. As the disease progresses, the usual pertussis symptoms will become apparent in one’s body, such as vomiting, exhaustion, and severe coughing.

To prevent you or someone you know from catching this disease, the best thing to do is to get vaccinated. In America, the recommended shot for children and infants is called DTaP; a combination vaccine that protects against not only pertussis, but also diphtheria and tetanus. Adults can receive a vaccine called Tdap, instead. Another thing to do to protect from catching this disease would be to keep infants, children and other people at high risk away from infected humans. Pertussis is a highly contagious disease, and can be spread from person to person by sneezing, coughing, and close contact with one another.

If one already has been infected with pertussis, antibiotics can be given to help alleviate the symptoms and cure the disease. Early treatment is important, because it can help prevent the disease from spreading and evolving further. Regular cough medicine will probably not help in this case because it’s meant only for temporary relief, and it is not recommended that someone gives an infected person this medicine. Drinking plenty of fluids is also important because it prevents dehydration.

via nytimes