Definition:
Whooping Cough otherwise known as the Pertussis is a higly contagious diseased that is said to be caused by a bacteria named Bordetella Pertussis. The disease is often described as the whooping which is generally on high-pitched that usually occur in the case of infected babies and children only (Finger H, von Koenig CHW (1996). Bordetella-Clinical Manifestations. In:Barron's Medical Microbiology (Barron S et al. Eds.) 4th., Univ of Texas Medical Branch).
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis includes the use of culturing of nasopharyngeal swabs on Bordet-Gengou medium, the polymerase chain reaction or the PCR, immunofluorescence or the DFA and serological methods.
Treatment:
Treatment includes administration of effective antibiotic usually erythromycin or azithromycin.
Symptoms and Signs:
Symptoms includes initially by mild respiratory infections symptoms like cough, sneezing and catarrhal stage or runny nose. Thereafter the cough is followed by an inspiratory whooping sound which may be increase by vomiting. It may lead to malnutrition and dehydration and even pneumonia, encephalitis, pulmonary hypertension and secondary bacterial superinfection (Mattoo S, Cherry JD (2005). "Molecular pathogenesis, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations of respiratory infections due to Bordetella pertussis and other Bordetella subspecies". Clin Microbiol Rev 18 (2): 326-82).
Causes:
Whooping Cough is said to be caused by the bacteria named Bordetella Pertussis.
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