Research Paper On Pertussis

In 2012 there were 41,000 reported cases of pertussis. Pertussis otherwise known as whooping cough, is a very serious disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, “pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In many people, it 's marked by a severe hacking cough, followed by a high-pitched intake of a breath that sounds like a whoop”. There may not be many deaths from this disease, but there are some. Those that do die from this, are most commonly infants. To understand Pertussis, one needs to know, signs and symptoms, who it affects, along with, precursors and treatment.
In most cases symptoms of pertussis develop in 5 to 10 days. As well as some cases, symptoms do not develop for up to three weeks. Usually normal cold symptoms are present, such as cough, runny nose, a low grade fever and in babies, apnea. Apnea is a pause in breathing. This is why pertussis is more dangerous in infants. As the disease proceeds, usually after week two, paroxysms occur along with throwing up, and exhaustion. Extreme coughing can

Pertussis in adults can be treated with antibiotics and will go away. According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, as a pregnant woman, to protect your child, you should get vaccinated while being pregnant, and vaccinate your baby. Pertussis is mainly found in infants younger than 6 months of age, who are not protected by immunization. Kids ages 11 to 18 whose immunity has started to fade are also at risk. In infants this disease becomes way more intense. A small child may not be able to stay at home, to get the treatment that they need, to feel better. Most likely they will be admitted to a hospital because, they cannot breathe, this is caused because they have too much mucus in their air ways and they need to be suctioned. Also their breathing will be closely monitored, and they may be put on oxygen if needed. Lastly if an infant is dehydrated or not eating correctly, intravenous fluids could be