"Whooping Cough"
by Sophia Schwab
Pertussis
Symptoms and Treatments
http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/signs-symptoms.html
Early(1 to 2 weeks):
- Runny nose
- mild fever
- sore throat
- Apnea- a pause in breathing for babies
Later stage
- Paroxysms (fits)-of many, rapid coughs followed by a high-pitched "whoop"
- vomiting
- exhaustion after coughing fits
Treatments:
1. Following the schedule for giving antibiotics exactly as your child's doctor prescribed.
2. Keeping your home free from irritants that can trigger coughing3. Using a clean, cool mist vaporizer to help loosen mucus and soothe the cough
4. Practicing good hand washing.
5. Encouraging your child to drink plenty of fluids
antibiotics include: zithromycin (Zithromax), erythromycin and clarithromycin (Biaxin).
Bordetella pertussis
Bordetella pertussis
Bordetella pertussis
Morality Rate
Worldwide, it is estimated that there are 16 million pertussis (whooping cough) cases and about 195,000 pertussis deaths in children per year. Most deaths occur in young babies who are either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated.
Interesting facts
- Children need the vaccinations to be fully protected
- Unvaccinated children have a eight times higher risk than a child with the vaccine
- Immunity offered by the vaccine can wane over time
- People with pertussis are most infectious during the early stages