Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a very serious and highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection. Pertussis is easily spread through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Infected people can spread the disease while they have cold-like symptoms and for at least two weeks after coughing starts.
Whooping cough begins with symptoms like the common cold and can include runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and a mild cough. Infants may not have the cough in the beginning but may have periods of apnea (pause or cessation of breathing). After one to two weeks, the cough can become very severe. Infants and young children can cough very hard and for long periods of time making it very hard to catch their breath, eat, drink, or sleep. They may turn blue while coughing from lack of oxygen and frequently will vomit after a coughing episode. The coughing may last for 10 weeks and can recur with the next respiratory illness. When children gasp for breath after a coughing episode, they make the characteristic “whoop” sound. This is where the name “whooping cough” comes from.
In adults, the symptoms are usually not very severe and the person may think they have a cold; however, pertussis can be a very serious, sometimes fatal disease in infants. Babies six months of age and younger are most likely to die from this disease. Younger patients also have a greater chance of complications which can include bacterial pneumonia, seizures, brain damage (from lack of oxygen), and dehydration. About one-half of babies less than one year of age who get pertussis will require hospitalization.Many babies and young children who get pertussis are infected by parents, older siblings, or other caregivers who didn’t know they had the disease. Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease; however, infants cannot begin the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine until they are two months of age and are not considered fully protected until they have received the third dose of the vaccine at six months of age. Because infants are not adequately protected against pertussis until they have received at least three doses of DTaP, it is especially important that all contacts of infants younger than age 12 months are vaccinated with Tdap.
The protection provided by vaccines can decrease over the years; therefore, older children and adults who were vaccinated against pertussis as children may not have adequate protection against the disease. All adolescents should receive the Tdap vaccine at age 11-12 years as a booster. If a child age 7-10 years did not complete the primary series of Dtap, they should be given a dose of Tdap as part of the catch-up vaccinations. All adults should receive a single dose of Tdap as soon as possible. They can then continue with the schedule of receiving a Td (tetanus) booster every ten years. All pregnant women should receive the Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy, preferably between 27 and 36 weeks gestation. The maternal pertussis antibodies transfer to the newborn likely providing protection in early life while the infant is still too young to start the vaccine series. If the mother is not vaccinated with Tdap during pregnancy, she should receive it immediately after giving birth. The CDC recommends getting the Tdap vaccine at least two weeks before coming into close contact with an infant.
In 2011, pertussis made more than 18,000 people sick nation-wide, and eleven babies died from complications. Many of the babies were too young to be fully protected against pertussis. Provisional data from the CDC reported more than 41,000 pertussis cases for 2012. Pertussis cases are rising, with 1885 cases reported in Texas so far this year. In Brown County 11 cases reported positive for pertussis in 2012. There have been 9 positive cases in Brown County so far this year.
In order to stop the spread of this disease the public needs to be informed about how the disease is spread and what can be done to prevent it. The Brownwood/Brown County Health Department encourages the people of our area to get the Tdap vaccine if they are in contact with babies and small children. If a person has further questions about the disease or the vaccine, please call the BBCHD at 325-646-0554, or visit www.brownwoodhealthdepartment.com.
