If you've ever seen a person with full-blown pertussis, you won't forget it. They cough violently and rapidly, until the air is gone from the lungs. They might vomit or their fingernails turn blue due to lack of oxygen after a coughing spell. They can have difficulty eating, drinking, and breathing.
In children, the severe coughing is followed by a "whooping" sound as the child inhales. That's how pertussis got its nickname whooping cough. It's also called 100-day cough because the cough can last several weeks or even months. Pertussis is a widespread illness.
Worldwide, there are 60 million cases and 355,000 deaths each year. In the United States, 5,000 to 7,000 cases are reported each year. That's up several thousand from the all time low of 1,010 cases in 1976. The incidence of pertussis has increased steadily since the 1980s.
In the United States epidemics occur every three to five years. Although the cases of pertussis are increasing, they're still far fewer than before the vaccine was introduced. In the 1920s through 1940s, an average of 160,000 cases were reported yearly. During one of those peak years, more than 250,000 cases were reported.
Symptoms
Mild pertussis can be difficult to detect because symptoms resemble a common cold: sneezing, runny nose, low-grade fever, and mild cough. The more severe and "typical" pertussis begins this way, but within two weeks, the cough worsens and is characterized by episodes of numerous rapid coughs followed, in young children, by a whooping sound. In some cases, coughing is mild but persistent. In many cases, coughing get worse at night.
Who's Most at Risk
Major complications are most common among infants and young children. They include broken blood vessels in the eye, lack of oxygen, pneumonia, broken ribs, hernias, convulsions, encephalopathy (when the brain is affected), malnutrition, coma, permanent brain damage, and death. More than half of infants with pertussis must be hospitalized.
Pertussis can occur at any age, but most reported cases today are in adults, in teens, and in children older than 10. The series of pertussis vaccinations children get protects them until they are about 10 years old. After that, they might no longer be immune. The FDA has finally approved a pertussis vaccine for teens and adults.
The increase in pertussis cases is possibly due to several factors including:
- Improved diagnosis helps doctors identify more cases in adolescents and adults.
- Fewer parents have their children vaccinated.
- As more people are infected, the spread of the disease increases.
Protect Yourself & Family
- Immunize your children.
- Stay away from people who have cold symptoms or cough illness. This is especially important for infants who have not completed their vaccination schedule.
- Wash your hands.
- Keep fingers and hands away from your face.
Protect Others
- Get treated quickly if you think you have been exposed. Pertussis can be treated with antibiotics.
- Stay away from others if you are sick.
- Always cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
- Throw away used tissues.
- Wash your hands.
- Consider wearing a mask if will be around people.
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