
by Pediatrician Ryan Tracy M.D., Sutter Delta Medical Center Chief of Staff
A pertussis (whooping cough) epidemic was declared in California last week, which means an unusually high number of infections have been identified. The disease is most common in summer months, and although summer has just begun the number of confirmed infections and deaths resulting from pertussis has already surpassed last year’s numbers. In fact, State officials are concerned that the current epidemic may become the worst in 50 years. Learn how to protect your family and loved ones.
Who is at risk?
Young children, particularly newborns, are at the highest risk, but the disease can be dangerous for people of all ages. Pertussis becomes dangerous when it develops into a dry, asthma-like cough that comes in fits. In younger patients, the coughing fits cause a loss of breath that results in deep gasps that produce a whooping sound. In older patients, the coughing fits can be violent enough to break a rib. It’s not unusual for the fits to continue for 100 days.
How is the disease spread?
The disease is typically spread by airborne droplets ejected by an infected person when he/she coughs or sneezes, but infected saliva or mucus on surfaces can also spread infection if someone touches the surface and then touches his/her mouth or nose. Research has shown that as many as 80 percent of children with pertussis were infected by a family member or caregiver, which is why it’s important for adults and siblings to be vaccinated.
Unvaccinated individuals should speak to their physicians about receiving the vaccine, and vaccinated adults and children 11 years or older that are regularly around young children should speak to their physicians about getting a booster shot.
How can I protect my family?
First, ensure everyone in your family is receives the full immunization series. Your family physician can recommend the best immunization course for each individual’s age and immunization history. Some vaccinated adults and children 11 years and older will require a booster.
Newborns cannot begin the vaccination series until they reach 2 months, so it is important that parents and older siblings are properly immunized. The vaccine is safe for pregnant women.
In addition to immunizations, remember to always:
- wash your hands before eating or touching your face
- help prevent the spread of disease by covering your moth when you cough or sneeze and then quickly washing your hands
- avoid going into public places or around family members while you’re ill
What if I’m already vaccinated?
The original pertussis immunization series will generally protect children until they are 11 or 12 years old, which is why a booster is recommend for children in that age range. The exact length of time that the immunization lasts after a booster is not yet known. During this epidemic, physicians are recommending that anyone who is regularly around children and has not received a booster within the past two years get one.
It’s also important to note that being vaccinated (and even receiving a booster) does not absolutely guarantee protection from the disease. So if you or your child develop cold-like symptoms during this epidemic, see your doctor even if you have been vaccinated.
Recognizing the signs and symptoms
Pertussis begins with symptoms similar to a respiratory cold:
- runny nose
- red eyes
- a mild cough
- and sometimes a mild fever
Those symptoms last from several days to two weeks, and patients are most contagious during that stage. As the other symptoms begin to fade, the cough begins to worsen. The coughing fits begin to persist to the point that the patient feels he/she can’t breathe. Fits are frequently followed by deep gasps for air that cause a whooping sound. In between coughing fits, however, patients may feel relatively normal.
To hear the sound of a child with whooping cough, click the play button below:
(provided by http://www.soundsofpertussis.com/)
What if my child or I may have whooping cough?
If you think that either you or your child has pertussis (whooping cough), contact your family physician. The early symptoms of the disease are typically mild and not life threatening, but once the prolonged coughing fits begin you should go to the local emergency department or call 911.
Treating the disease
Pertussis (whooping cough) is most treatable in its early stages before the coughing fits begin. Once the fits begin treatment is difficult and may require hospital admission. In the disease’s early stages, antibiotics can help kill the infection, but in its later stages they will only prevent it from spreading to others.
Infants and young children are the most vulnerable and should be evaluated immediately after developing symptoms, but adults are susceptible too. If you believe that you or your child may have whooping cough (pertussis), contact your family physician right away.
The bottom line:
- Make sure you and your family members are properly immunized.
- During this epidemic, consider all cold-like symptoms possible cases of whooping cough. Your physician can collect nasal and throat swabs to diagnose or rule out pertussis, and antibiotics can be prescribed (when appropriate) while awaiting lab results.
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