Cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, are increasing in various countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and China. The United States has not yet seen a similar rise, although a few isolated outbreaks have been reported in 2024, as can be expected every year.
Here’s what you need to know about whooping cough and how to prevent the disease.
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What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough, also called whooping cough, is an infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella whooping coughaccording to Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease gets its name from the characteristic, high-pitched “scream” sound that sufferers often make when they inhale in the middle of a coughing fit.
B. whooping cough invades the airways, attaches itself to small hair-like extensions on the surface of cells, and releases toxins. According to medical resource StatPearlsThe word “whooping cough” derives from the Latin words meaning “severe cough,” and it is also known as “100-day cough.”
Whooping cough is spread very easily between people. A measure of the contagiousness of the disease, called its basic reproduction number (R0)is comparable to that of measles — the R0 for whooping cough is estimated to be between 12 and 17, while the R0 for measles is between 12 and 18. The R0 reflects how many susceptible people a person infected with a disease would be likely to spread. the disease to.
The infection can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, spewing bacteria into the air. People are thought to be contagious from the start of their symptoms and for at least two weeks after they start coughing. However, people with mild symptoms may not realize they have whooping cough and may therefore unintentionally pass it on to others.
Can adults get whooping cough?
Yes, adults can get whooping cough and spread it to other people; this is why in countries like the United States it is advisable to receive periodic boosters with a whooping cough vaccine. (More information on vaccines can be found in a later section.)
However, adults and adolescents are at lower risk of serious and fatal complications from whooping cough than young children. About a third of infants who get whooping cough need to be hospitalized, and about 1 in 100 people hospitalized for whooping cough die, according to the CDC.
What are the symptoms of whooping cough?
THE whooping cough symptoms usually appear within five to ten days after a person’s exposure to B. whooping cough, although their development can sometimes take weeks. The first symptoms of infection may last a week or two and include a runny, stuffy nose; mild fever; and a slight cough. Then, people may develop “coughing fits,” violent coughing fits that can persist for about one to six weeks, and up to 10 weeks in some cases. People often make the characteristic “whooping cough” sound during these attacks.
Coughing can cause vomiting, broken rib, difficulty sleeping and breathing. Notably, some babies with whooping cough do not develop a cough but instead develop life-threatening apnea or pauses in breathing. This can cause them to turn blue. Babies with apnea need treatment in a hospital.
Other common complications seen in babies include seizures and seizures, pneumonia, and encephalopathy, which broadly means brain disease. According to StatPearls, bacterial toxins, lack of oxygen or sugar in the blood, or brain bleeding related to increased pressure from coughing may be responsible for these brain-related symptoms.
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Is there a whooping cough vaccine?
Yes, there are several vaccines against whooping cough. One type is known as DTaP vaccines, which protect against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. In the United States, this type of vaccine is given to children aged 6 and younger. Children should receive five doses of DTaP before their seventh birthday, spaced apart according to the CDC recommended schedule. Children should then receive a single dose of a whooping cough booster, called Tdap, between 11 and 12 years old.
It is recommended that adults receive either a Tdap booster or a Td booster (the latter only protects against tetanus and diphtheria) every 10 years. Generally, the Tdap booster is specifically recommended for adults who are in contact with infants and healthcare workers, Mayo Clinic Notes. It is also recommended that pregnant people receiving a Tdap booster during pregnancy, usually at the beginning of the third trimester. This protects newborns against whooping cough during their first months of life.
Notably, countries currently experiencing pertussis outbreaks have different vaccination schedules than the United States. only gives children four doses of vaccine – three when they are infants and one when they are toddlers. The country also recommends the vaccine to pregnant people. In China, children receive three doses before the age of 6 months then a booster at 18 months; no further boosters are recommended for older age groups. Studies suggest that Protection from pertussis vaccines declines significantly over timeso a lack of boosters could open the door to outbreaks.
That said, in Australia the vaccination schedule is somewhat similar to that of the United States. Children receive three doses as babies, then boosters at 18 months, 4 years and 12 years. Another booster is given at age 50 and is also recommended for pregnant people.
Whooping cough infections can still occur in vaccinated people, but when they are vaccinated, symptoms tend to be milder.
Why are cases of whooping cough increasing in different countries?
Various countries have reported an increase in diagnosed cases of whooping cough. For example, between January and early May this year, the The UK Health Safety Agency reported more than 2,790 cases, including five resulting in infant deaths. Major outbreaks of whooping cough tend to occur cyclically, every few years, as the pool of newborns without immunity and people with waning immunity from vaccines or infections increases and decreases over time; the UK’s last record year was 2016, when just under 6,000 cases of whooping cough have been reported.
Similar trends have been seen all over Europe. China also reported more than 32,380 cases in January and February alone, more than the total recorded for all of 2019. Bloomberg reported. At the end of May, Australia had seen nearly 7,000 caseswith Queensland and New South Wales particularly affected compared to recent years.
There are likely several reasons for the increase in cases. The first is that at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, precautions taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus also slowed the spread of whooping cough. This reduced the number of cases and therefore the number of people who might have acquired some natural immunity to the disease through infection.
Childhood vaccination rates have fallen during the pandemic and I’m still recovering. Notably, the United Kingdom has reported a decline in whooping cough vaccinations, both among children and pregnant women, in recent years.
Could cases of whooping cough be increasing in the United States?
The United States has not yet seen an unusual increase in whooping cough cases this year. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States reported between 15,000 and 25,000 cases of whooping cough per year; 2012 turned out to be a bad year, with almost 48,280 cases. The numbers fell dramatically between 2020 and 2023, with 6,000 cases or fewer each year.
In 2024, “some U.S. health departments have informed us of local outbreaks, which we expect to see every year,” said Jasmine Reed, a CDC spokeswoman. told NBC News. “So we don’t see anything unusual.” The epidemics affected New York City And HawaiiFor example.
As of May 18, the United States had reported about 4,500 cases of whooping cough, according to the CDC National Reportable Disease Surveillance System. This time last year, only 1,615 cases had been reported. But again, given the rates of the disease before the pandemic, this year’s pertussis rates don’t seem unusual. The United States saw slight declines in whooping cough vaccinations in children during the pandemic, but it is unclear whether these could lead to a significant increase in whooping cough like those seen in other countries.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to offer medical advice.
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