Bordetella Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a contagious disease that affects the respiratory system. B. Pertussis is a Gram-negative bacterium, and its main symptom is violent coughing that can make it difficult to breathe. A unique characteristic of this disease is that often you can hear a deep convulsive sound when the patient tries to inspire. Pertussis is one of the most contagious diseases that primarily affect infants under six months, as well as adolescents and adults (Mayo Clinic.) This disease is preventable by vaccination. In 1940 the pertussis vaccine appeared, and the number of mortality on children significantly decreased (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) There are countries where the vaccine is not used, so the mortality in children is high (Todar.)
Anyone can get whooping cough,
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pertussis are very common to the symptoms of a cold and the flu like sneezing, sore throat, watery eyes, runny nose, mild fever, and cough, so people can get confused thinking it is just a cold until the symptoms become more intense (Konkel.) After one or two weeks the symptoms become more severe. Extreme fatigue occurs. Coughing may be intense, rapid, repeated to the point when the person has to make a greater effort to breathe. In infants can occur apnea, pause in the rhythm of his breath. Coughing can cause the patients to vomit and to lose consciousness, abundant vomiting can also cause dehydration (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) When adults get B. pertussis infection, it is not as severe as when children get it (Konkel.) Pertussis, even if it is treated well, sometimes there can be serious consequences, for example, pneumonia sometimes appears or bleeding from the nose and mouth, due to coughing. In infants, asphyxia is very common, therefore, it is recommendable for infants under a year old need to be hospitalized in order to have an especial treatment (Centers for Disease Control and