Pertussis: Not only children are affected

Contrary to what is often thought, pertussis affects not only newborns. Certainly, it is more severe for them, but adults also can contract it and pass it to infants not yet immunized. One solution: adults need immunization too.

B.pertussis is a Gram-negative, aerobic coccobacillus responsible for the disease whooping cough. Whooping cough, a highly contagious disease characterized by paroxysms of coughing, was first identified in 1578. Virulent factors include pertussis toxin, hemolysin, adenylate cyclase (AC), and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) (more about  whooping cough).

The pertussis mortality declined in the last 30 years, but children continue to die. It is the leading cause of death from bacterial infections at the age under three months. Infants are sensitive as they still have not received their three doses of vaccine at 2, 3 and 4 months. Reminders at 16-18 months and 11-13 years are fairly well followed.

There is no vaccine to protect from the disease for life. A person may have whooping cough several times. Therefore a vaccine for the adults appeared in 2004. All people responsible for infants are to be vaccinated: parents and grandparents,  midwives, pediatricians etc. To avoid contaminating their toddlers.

Unfortunately, the public, GPs, obstetricians, staff at nurseries or childminders still lack information and not all are vaccinated. They should however be vaccinated as soon as a newborn gets into their hands to protect him.

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