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Pertussis: Diseases
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Pertussis is a respiratory system infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It is characterized by severe coughing spells that may end in a "whooping" sound when the infected person inhales. The first symptoms are like a cold-sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, slight fever, and a dry cough that may get worse at night. But unlike a cold, whooping cough sticks around, and within two weeks the symptoms get worse. A person can have fits of coughing that seem to go on and on. Severe coughing can lead to vomiting and may make it hard for a person to eat or drink. Because adults and adolescents with pertussis may have milder symptoms, they usually don't know they have the disease.
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Pertussis is from the Latin for "intensive cough" and this is the most striking characteristic of the disease. At first, there may only be a runny nose, mild cough, and low-grade fever. But as the disease progresses, the nasal discharge becomes thicker and more profuse, leading to severe upper respiratory congestion in a young baby. This stage usually lasts 1 to 2 weeks before progressing to the next (paroxysmal) stage. Typically, the child will cough forcefully 5 to 10 times during a single expiration. This is followed by a sudden intake of air and a whooping sound as it is inhaled against the narrowed glottis.
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Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is caused by a bacterium, Bordatella pertussis, that lives in the mouth, nose and throat. The germ is highly contagious and is easily spread from person to person. In the early to mid-1900s, pertussis was one of the most common childhood diseases and a major cause of childhood mortality in the United States.
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Pertussis, or whooping cough, is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. B. pertussis is a small aerobic gram-negative rod. It is fastidious, and requires special media for isolation. * The incubation period of pertussis is commonly 7 to 10 days, with a range of 4 to 21 days, and rarely may be as long as 42 days.
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Pertussis is primarily spread by direct contact with discharges from the nose and throat of infected individuals. Frequently, older siblings who may be harboring the bacteria in their nose and throat can bring the disease home and infect an infant in the household.
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Pertussis is transmitted through droplets from the mouth and nose when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. 6 Because it is most contagious during the first two weeks of infection when symptoms resemble a cold, pertussis is easily spread throughout a household. A parent, grandparent or babysitter suffering from what seems like a cold can actually have pertussis and spread the disease to the baby.
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