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Whooping cough. Evidence-Based Patient Guide

Whooping cough is a serious infectious disease that occurs mostly in childhood. Pediatricians assure that this disease can be extremely dangerous for children, and the only measure of protection against it is vaccination. But can whooping cough develop after vaccination?

How do children get whooping cough?

This infectious disease is provoked by a specific pathogen - a bacterium with Latin name Bordetella pertussis. It can enter the body of a healthy individual only from a sick person: pathogens are easily transmitted with droplets of saliva through the air during sneezing or coughing, as well as when laughing or talking. In a certain percentage of patients, whooping cough has a mild course, accompanied only by an insignificant cough. Accordingly, such people themselves, without knowing it, become carriers of the infection. If one of the family members is affected by whooping cough, the probability of developing the disease in unvaccinated children reaches eighty percent.

The first manifestations of the disease may become apparent seven to ten days after the infection occurs. But sometimes incubation period lasts an order of magnitude longer - up to three weeks. Sick people become contagious already at the stage of a runny nose and secrete the pathogen into environment until the fifth day from the start of treatment with antibacterial drugs.

Can you get whooping cough if you are vaccinated?

In order to understand whether a vaccinated child can get whooping cough, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of action of the vaccine against of this disease. Today, to prevent such a disease, routine vaccination is carried out using DTP - this is the abbreviated name for an adsorbed (purified and weakened) complex vaccine containing killed pertussis bacteria, as well as diphtheria and tetanus toxoid. Doctors may also suggest vaccinating your child with other vaccines that contain pertussis.

Whooping cough vaccinations are given in several stages: at three months, at four and a half months and at six months. Then revaccination is carried out - at one and a half years. Pediatricians assure that vaccination can provide enough reliable protection from whooping cough for several years. However, over time, the severity of protection gradually decreases.

Even doctors and scientists agree that the effectiveness of whooping cough vaccination does not exceed eighty-five percent. And the average period of post-vaccination immunity is no more than ten to twelve years.

Human body characterized by high susceptibility to the causative agent of whooping cough. And the probability of meeting him in everyday life quite high. Accordingly, it is quite possible to get whooping cough after vaccination.

How does the whooping cough vaccine work?

The vaccine promotes the development of immunity against of this disease by simulating infection. Killed whooping cough pathogens introduced along with the vaccine are unable to provoke the development of the disease, however, they train the immune system to produce specific T-lymphocytes and antibodies. After successfully defeating the adsorbed components of the vaccine, the immune system “remembers” all the tools that it used to protect the body. Remains in the body a certain amount T lymphocytes, also called “memory cells”. When the pathogen enters the body again, such cells are quickly activated and help in as soon as possible cope with the threat.

Repeated administration of the whooping cough vaccine allows the child's body to most effectively learn to recognize dangerous bacteria and quickly destroy them.

It is impossible to get whooping cough from the vaccine, since the vaccine contains non-viable components that cannot cause symptoms of the disease.

Why do vaccinated children get sick?

Vaccination against whooping cough cannot provide 100% protection against the disease. Sometimes, even when vaccinations are carried out according to schedule, the body cannot form full immunity to whooping cough. According to doctors, whooping cough infection after DTP vaccinations explained exclusively individual characteristics specific child.

But we must take into account the fact that over time, the effectiveness of the protection provided by the vaccine naturally weakens. Already five years after revaccination (according to the schedule - one and a half years), the body may lose the ability to fully resist the pertussis bacterium. Therefore, a child can easily become infected with whooping cough through contact with a sick person.

Features of the course of whooping cough in vaccinated children

If a vaccinated child gets sick with whooping cough, his illness follows the same pattern as that of unvaccinated children. However, the severity of symptoms and duration of the disease may be less. Classic manifestations of whooping cough:

The disease begins like a common cold. There may be an increase in temperature, runny nose, dry cough, sore throat and sore throat.
Over time, the runny nose disappears and the temperature returns to normal. A characteristic painful cough, in which a specific whistling inhalation is usually observed in the interval between many cough impulses (this inhalation is called a reprise). The cough can be painful, causing watery eyes, vomiting, sudden stop breathing.
The period of whooping cough can last a very long time - up to six months, but the manifestations gradually fade away. Children become non-infectious twenty-five days after the first symptoms of the disease.

Possible differences in the course of the disease in vaccinated children:

the temperature often does not rise;
health may remain within normal limits;
cough can be moderate, not very frequent and without recurrence;
Whooping cough after DPT vaccination can occur like a normal acute respiratory infection;
The recovery time is shorter than without vaccination.

The course of the disease in most cases is much easier after vaccination.

Features of the treatment of whooping cough in vaccinated children

If a vaccinated child develops whooping cough, he or she usually does not require hospitalization. If the diagnosis is made early, the doctor may prescribe low-toxic antibacterial medications. In general, treatment is non-specific and is aimed at reducing the frequency of coughing attacks, it may include:

Finding a child on fresh air, best near a pond.
Regular ventilation of the apartment and wet cleaning.
Application special devices for air humidification.
Distracting a child interesting activities to reduce stimulation of the cough center.

How can you protect a child from illness when the immune system is naturally weakened? There are two main methods of protecting children and adolescents several years after revaccination at one and a half years:

Scheduled revaccination after ten years.
Blood test for immunity strength and, if necessary, revaccination.

Should children be vaccinated against whooping cough?

Today in society there is a tendency to abandon routine vaccination children. And information about the possibility of developing the disease after all vaccinations contributes to this. But doctors insist on the need for vaccination because:

Whooping cough is extremely dangerous for babies under one year of age, in patients age group it may cause respiratory arrest and death. Vaccination protects your child from dangerous illness for this period.
According to statistics, whooping cough that occurs after DTP vaccination is easier than without it. The cough in such patients lasts much less, and complications occur less frequently.
Vaccination has reduced the mortality rate from whooping cough by 45 times.

Vaccination significantly reduces the risk of developing infection and the occurrence of complications of the disease, therefore it is advisable to vaccinate children according to age in accordance with the recommendations of specialists.

Whooping cough is an airborne infection that affects respiratory tract. It is caused by a bacterium from the genus Bordetella, the second name of which is the Bordet-Gengou bacterium. Immunization of children with the DTP vaccine protects against infection (according to the vaccination calendar, it is carried out from the age of 3 months). But whooping cough can also develop in vaccinated children. Why is this possible and is it worth vaccinating a child? The characteristics of whooping cough in vaccinated and unvaccinated children will be discussed in this article.

Why do vaccinated children get sick?

As a result of DTP vaccinations, protective specific antibodies are produced in the body, which prevent the pertussis bacterium from causing disease when it enters the body. But, unfortunately, the effectiveness of vaccination is only 80-85%. In addition, post-vaccination immunity protects against the development of infection only for 5-12 years.

Therefore, for future protection, revaccination should be carried out.. Ideally, the child’s immunity against whooping cough should be checked and, if the antibody titer is low, revaccinated. But in the Russian Federation such examination and revaccination of adolescents is not carried out.

Many parents, after reading this, will doubt the advisability carrying out DTP, and many, even without such knowledge, refuse to vaccinate their child, succumbing to a wave of information articles in the media (not always professional!) about the dangers of vaccination. Some parents don’t even bother to get the facts in favor of and against vaccination: a friend or neighbor refused to vaccinate her child, and so will I.

The feasibility or even necessity of vaccination against whooping cough is that the disease is life-threatening in a child under one year of age due to possible stop breathing. And vaccination will precisely protect against the disease during this most dangerous period.

In addition, even if a vaccinated child gets sick, whooping cough will occur in him over a period of time. mild form than in unvaccinated children, and will not cause complications. The duration of cough due to whooping cough in vaccinated children is significantly less. The mortality rate of children from whooping cough decreased with the introduction of vaccination by 45 times.

Susceptibility to the whooping cough bacillus is very high, it is practically impossible to avoid meeting with a sick person or a bacteria carrier (sources of infection), which is why a vaccinated child can get whooping cough.

Whooping cough symptoms

The latent period can last 1-3 weeks, depending on the infecting dose and the condition of the child. During this period, infected children are not infectious to others.

The course of pertussis infection can be divided into 3 periods:

catarrhal (1-2 weeks);
paroxysmal period (2-4 weeks);
recovery (1-2 months on average).

Catarrhal period

Signs of illness in initial period, as a rule, are more reminiscent of acute respiratory infections; it is almost impossible to diagnose whooping cough in children during this period. As the temperature rises to 380C, a runny nose, dry cough, sore or sore throat, and malaise appear. That is why this period is called “catarrhal”.

A lack of effect from the treatment could indicate the onset of whooping cough, but worsening cough is more often explained by the development of bronchitis or tracheitis against the background of acute respiratory infections, and they continue to treat with other antitussive drugs, also unsuccessfully.

Put correct diagnosis in the catarrhal period it is possible with the help laboratory research, but they are usually prescribed to unvaccinated children and more often only by the bacteriological method, the diagnostic efficiency of which is only about 30%. In terms of the spread of whooping cough, this period is the most contagious, but children are not isolated and continue to visit the children's clinic.

Period of convulsive cough

During the paroxysmal period, unvaccinated children develop typical signs of whooping cough - bouts of painful coughing with a characteristic wheezing inhalation (reprise) between repeated coughs. coughing jerks. Attacks are more likely to occur indoors and at night, especially if there is no ventilation and dry air.

The appearance of attacks is associated with the irritating effect of the pertussis toxin on the mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchi, impulses from which enter the brain into the cough center. Excitation of this center is also supported by the direct action of the bacterial toxin on nerve receptors.

During an attack, the child’s face turns red, tears flow, veins in the neck may swell, and severe course in small children, involuntary urination and impaired consciousness may occur.

Depending on the severity of the disease, attacks are repeated with a frequency ranging from several per day to very frequent (40 or more). It is impossible to stop the attack. It prevents children from sleeping, the child becomes irritable and capricious. A coughing attack may result in vomiting. The cough can continue for up to 3 minutes until thick sputum (vitreous mucus) is released.

During a severe, prolonged cough, a sudden stop in breathing may occur - apnea (also a typical sign of whooping cough). This complication is very dangerous and requires resuscitation measures. Apnea occurs more often in infants.

Infected from a sick child at the beginning of the period convulsive cough It is still possible, but its contagiousness is significantly reduced: after 25 days. from the onset of the disease the patient is no longer dangerous. Whooping cough bacteria die on their own. If treatment with an antibiotic is carried out in the initial period, then after 5 days the patient is not infectious, although the cough continues due to excitement in the center of the cough.

Recovery period

The recovery period lasts 1-2 months, but sometimes up to 6 months. Symptoms of whooping cough fade: attacks become shorter, occur less frequently and disappear. The cough continues in the form of isolated cough impulses. But the disease exhausts the body so much that the addition of another disease (viral or bacterial) easily occurs. And this can provoke a return of coughing attacks.

Features of whooping cough in vaccinated people

When whooping cough occurs in vaccinated children, the symptoms are not so pronounced. The temperature may remain normal or rise slightly. General health does not suffer, appetite is good. Most often, the disease is never diagnosed and occurs under the guise of an acute respiratory infection.

Whooping cough in previously vaccinated children can occur in an erased form, when the manifestation of the disease is prolonged cough no seizures.

Even if coughing attacks appear, they are not long-lasting, occurring up to 7-10 times a day. During a coughing attack, no repetitions appear, which makes it difficult to diagnose whooping cough. The duration of cough during the recovery period is also shorter in vaccinated people.

Diagnosis of whooping cough in vaccinated children

When typical coughing attacks occur, the doctor makes a clinical diagnosis. Diagnosis of erased forms of whooping cough in a vaccinated child can be difficult.

The diagnosis can be confirmed by laboratory methods:

A bacteriological method (smear culture or the use of “cough plates”) can help isolate whooping cough bacteria only in the initial period of the disease, when they are actively multiplying. And then, the average seeding rate is 30%. The material should be collected before treatment with antibiotics and on an empty stomach or 2 hours after a meal. The method can be used when repeated cases morbidity in the outbreak when whooping cough is suspected at the stage of catarrhal manifestations.
Serological method: the ELISA method determines the presence of antibodies in the blood serum. Class M immunoglobulins (early antibodies) and their increase in titer when examining paired sera taken at intervals of 5-7 days will confirm the presence of whooping cough at the time of the study, since their appearance is typical in the first 3 weeks. diseases. And the detection of class G antibodies does not confirm current whooping cough: they may be a consequence of vaccination or previous whooping cough.
PCR can help detect pathogen DNA in the nasopharyngeal mucus, which is present in the body even in small quantities. But only if whooping cough is suspected and PCR is prescribed in the first 2-3 weeks. diseases. After all, the bacterium dies on its own by day 20-25.

Treatment of whooping cough in vaccinated children

Whooping cough in a vaccinated child is usually treated at home, as it has a mild course. Effective medicines There are no remedies that can quickly get rid of whooping cough. If the diagnosis is made in the catarrhal period, antibiotics (most often low-toxic Erythromycin) are prescribed in an age-appropriate dosage.

When diagnosed after 2 weeks, the use of antibiotics does not make sense, since the toxin has already accumulated, the disease mechanism has started, and the bacterium itself dies.

It is best to ensure that children stay in the fresh air near a body of water (coughing is less likely to occur in cold, damp air). Fresh, moist air must also be provided in the child’s room. To do this, wet cleaning of the room and airing is carried out several times a day, using special devices for humidification or placing containers with water and hanging wet sheets. The optimal temperature will be 16-200C with a humidity of 50%. Getting the baby interested in an interesting activity (construction set, new doll, cartoons, etc.) can help reduce stimulation of the cough center.

Vaccinated children can actually get whooping cough. But the value of vaccination is that it provides protection during the most dangerous period - in children under one year of age. Innate immunity No. If a vaccinated child gets sick, the disease will be mild and will not dangerous complications that can cause the death of a baby. Parents should think carefully before writing a refusal to vaccinate their child.

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Whooping cough - serious illness to which children are exposed early age. As a preventive measure, doctors offer a vaccine. Whether it is one hundred percent protection against the disease and whether it is possible to get whooping cough again, you will find out from this article.

Whooping cough is an infectious disease characterized by inflammatory process in the upper respiratory tract.

Its main symptom is a spasmodic paroxysmal cough, which is accompanied by laryngospasm (when inhaling, a whistle is produced due to a narrowing of the glottis). After the attack there is sputum discharge or vomiting.

Epidemiology of whooping cough

The disease is caused by pertussis bacteria, which can only be transmitted by airborne droplets. When an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs, the bacteria in the sputum can spread 2-2.5 meters.

Outside the human body, the bacterium cannot exist for long. So she lives in dry sputum for a couple of hours, during wet aerosol just over 20 hours. In natural light it can exist for two hours, and if it is exposed to direct sun rays, it doesn’t even last an hour. Ultraviolet light or a disinfectant solution can kill the whooping cough bacillus in a couple of minutes.

It would seem that such an unstable external environment pathogen that can cause harm to humanity?

Features of the epidemiology of whooping cough:

Highly contagious. This means that there is an almost one hundred percent chance of contact with a carrier of the bacteria.
The incubation period can last up to 21 days, although most often symptoms of the disease appear on days 3-7. During this period, a person looks healthy, but at the same time infects others.
The patient is also dangerous two weeks after the onset of paroxysmal spasmodic cough. Studies show that during the first week, pertussis bacillus can be detected in the sputum of a sick person in almost 100% of cases. And in the second week it is found in 6-7 cases out of 10. A person who suffers from whooping cough is dangerous to others for 24 days. After this period, the cough may persist, but it is not dangerous since there is no bacteria in the sputum.
People over seven years of age predominantly suffer from atypical whooping cough. That is clinical picture lubricated: no spasmodic paroxysmal cough is observed. Naturally, they lead a normal lifestyle and do not limit social contacts, thereby contributing to the spread of infection.

Children can become infected with whooping cough from the first days of life, since they do not have antibodies in their blood, even if the mother has a strong immunity to this disease. Because anti-pertussis antibodies are class M immunoglobulins, and they cannot penetrate to the fetus through the placenta.

And although latest research showed that there are some maternal antibodies in the blood of a newborn, but they are not enough to protect the baby.

To make a diagnosis, mucus from the back wall throats. A smear is taken on an empty stomach or 2-3 hours after eating.

The final result can be obtained only after 5-7 days, the intermediate result - 2 days earlier. There is also an immunofluorescence method, which gives results in 2-6 hours.

Complications and prevention of the disease

Previously, this disease was the number one cause of child mortality. It was not the bacterium itself that led to death, but the complications it caused in the form of pneumonia or a secondary decrease in immunity.

Among the complications of whooping cough are specific, which are characteristic of this disease, and nonspecific. Specific ones include:

emphysema;
whooping cough pneumonia;
failure of the respiratory rhythm (the child may not breathe for more than 30 seconds);
impaired blood supply to the brain;
blood may flow from the nose, pharynx, outer ear, bronchi;
hemorrhages in the mucous membrane, head or spinal cord, sclera and retina;
rupture of the eardrum.

Nonspecific include pneumonia, bronchitis, tonsillitis, otitis media and other bacterial diseases. IN modern world erased and mild forms of the disease predominate.

Children under one year of age still suffer from this disease with difficulty due to the lack of passive immunity. Complications after past infection in infants: pneumonia in 10% of cases, and bronchitis in 40-45% of cases.

Infants often experience sneezing, screaming, and crying rather than coughing. Even between attacks, children are lethargic and lose the skills they have acquired. Holding your breath can happen at any time.

Prevention of whooping cough is by vaccinating children with DTP (adsorbed pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine). The anti-pertussis component is killed pertussis bacteria, which stimulate the production of antibodies. But they are not always enough for the immune system to recognize them when encountering a pathogen.

Vaccines can be whole cell vaccines that contain components bacterial cell, or cell-free, they do not contain lipopolysaccharide fractions, therefore they do not cause allergic reactions.

The first whooping cough vaccine is given at three months of age. Then there are 2 more with an interval of 1.5 months. Repeated single vaccination is carried out at one and a half years. The child will develop sufficient immunity only if he receives all 4 doses and within the specified time interval.

The DTP vaccine itself cannot lead to whooping cough, since it contains fractions of killed bacteria.

Is it possible to get sick after vaccination?

Children who have received the vaccine may become infected with whooping cough due to insufficiently developed immunity or, if more than 3 years have passed, as a result of its decline. But at the same time, they do not suffer from severe forms, and they do not develop complications.

Whooping cough in vaccinated children is often presented in an atypical form: the symptoms resemble ARVI. The incubation and preconvulsant periods are longer than those of unvaccinated people (up to two weeks), and the cough period, on the contrary, is shorter, no more than 2 weeks.

If children who are not vaccinated can cough after illness for another 6 months, then those who received vaccinations fully recover after 2 months.

Repeated whooping cough is very rare; these are isolated cases. Experts suggest that this is due to the use of antibiotics for early stage the first disease, which leads to relief of symptoms, but also prevents the formation of full immunity.

Complications after DPT and contraindications to vaccination

Appear frequently local reactions after vaccination, for which it is not required medical intervention. This is redness, swelling, compaction in the injection area. Often it is the pertussis component that causes an allergic reaction.

The body may react with malaise, angioedema, urticaria, rash, exacerbation chronic diseases, fever. If a child is susceptible to low-grade seizures (this is inherited), then the body temperature should not be allowed to exceed 37.5 degrees.

Afebrile convulsions with loss of consciousness may also occur. This is a central nervous system reaction and occurs without fever.

For any severe reaction, be it a severe hardening of more than 8 centimeters or soft tissue swelling of the entire buttock, you should seek medical advice.

The most serious is anaphylactic shock. It develops predominantly during the second or subsequent administration of the vaccine. It may develop within three to four minutes after the injection or after 3 to 4 hours. Symptoms of anaphylactic shock:

loss of consciousness;
a sharp decrease in pressure;
pale skin;
cold sweat

Any vaccination is done only absolutely healthy child, after a preliminary general blood test. Even food allergy or a runny nose is a contraindication. DTP cannot be done:

if during a previous similar vaccination appeared strong reaction or a complication has occurred;
if a progressive disease of the nervous system is diagnosed;
had afebrile seizures;
Children are not vaccinated if they have severe allergic reactions to anything. They are vaccinated with less allergenic vaccines while taking antihistamines.

Thus, vaccination does not provide a 100% guarantee that a child will not get whooping cough. But she guarantees mild course illness and rapid recovery, without serious complications.

Source

Whooping cough is a dangerous infectious disease, the main symptom of which is a paroxysmal cough. Most often children suffer from this disease preschool age, but despite this, both adolescents and adults are at risk. To protect yourself and your child from this disease, you should know how whooping cough is transmitted and what preventive measures most effective in combating it.

Pathogen and symptoms of infection

The bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which is the causative agent of whooping cough, is very unstable to environmental conditions. When the infection gets on household items when coughing or sneezing, it instantly dies. The pathogen does not survive boiling or freezing. The bacterium multiplies in the human body at a temperature of 37C - this is the most favorable environment for its life.

Considering that whooping cough is infectious disease, the question of whether he is contagious or not is simply not worth it. A child or adult may have been infected for a long time, but not feel any signs of illness during the incubation period. The cough does not immediately begin to choke the patient, since the latent phase of the disease can last from five days to 3 weeks. During this time period the person is not contagious.

The primary symptoms of the disease are no different from common cold: First, a runny nose, fever and general malaise appear. After a couple of days, the bacterium begins to secrete a toxin, which irritates the bronchi and trachea and causes paroxysmal coughing. After another five days, thick, transparent sputum begins to appear.

Methods of transmission of whooping cough

Whooping cough is transmitted by airborne droplets - the most common method of respiratory transmission viral diseases. The ways of its transmission are as follows:

When breathing, coughing and sneezing. In order for infection to occur, contact with the patient must be close. If the distance between a sick person and an uninfected person exceeds 2.5 meters, then the disease cannot be transmitted. Bacteria are released with particles of mucus and saliva and enter the respiratory tract of a healthy person.
With kisses and hugs. This is the most the right way become infected with whooping cough. The patient's saliva enters the oral cavity of a healthy person, and then into the respiratory system, and thus this contagious disease is transmitted.
The disease can also be transmitted through shared cutlery. For example, if a sick mother ate from the same plate with the baby, or the child licked a spoon after an infected person ate with it.
The pathogen does not live on the surface of household objects and, according to doctors, the transmission of a dangerous disease by contact is impossible. However, if the baby licks a toy that the patient sneezed on right before, he may get sick. If the particles of mucus and saliva have dried and a little time has passed, then the bacteria will not be able to be transmitted, since they will simply die immediately in the environment.

Duration of infection period

How long is whooping cough contagious? The main period of infection lasts about three weeks. The incidence statistics are as follows:

in the first week, the sick person is especially dangerous for others, since during this time period the bacterium is most active. If you contact him within acute phase, the infection rate reaches 100%;
in the second week this figure decreases significantly and is already transmitted to 60%;
in the third week, the bacterium is no longer so aggressive, and whooping cough is transmitted during this period to only 30% of people in contact with the patient;
subsequently, even if symptoms persist for a long time, the infection can only be transmitted to 10% of others.

With correct diagnosis and timely initiation of antibiotics, the disease is not transmitted to others already on the fifth day of illness. That is why, if there has been a case of whooping cough in a children's group, the infected person is removed from communication with peers for at least 5 days, provided that he receives appropriate antibiotic treatment.

When, for any reason, the use of such drugs is contraindicated and treatment is carried out more light medications means - interferons, homeopathy or antiviral, the child cannot visit childcare facility until the active phase of the disease has completely passed, which is at least 21 days. In both cases, the cough may persist for more than one week, but the patient with whooping cough is no longer contagious.

Severity of the disease

There are three degrees of severity of the disease:

light form. A person coughs infrequently, with 8-15 coughing attacks per day. Generally general condition at the same time it is normal, but the temperature rises to a maximum of 37.5C;
moderate form. Spasmodic cough pesters from 16-25 times a day, while the patient is very exhausted. Symptoms can persist for a long time, and the person continues to be ill for up to 5 weeks;
severe form. The number of attacks reaches 30 times a day. At the same time, the person turns pale, his appetite disappears completely, he begins to lose body weight. Spasmodic cough is so strong that it can lead to suffocation.

After a person has overcome the disease, he develops immunity, which does not remain for life, but protects against infection for only 3-5 years. However, cases of re-infection are extremely rare, and if this happens, the disease occurs in a milder form.

Prevention of whooping cough

Primitive preventive measures are important, but ineffective. After close contact with a sick person, rinse your nose immediately saline solution and use a humidifier by adding a few drops of fir, eucalyptus or juniper oil. But if the object spreading the infection is going through the acute phase of the disease, then this is unlikely to help, since the infection is transmitted and penetrates very quickly.

The only one effective means Only vaccination counts. The first vaccination is given to the baby at 3 months of age, after which 2 more immunizations are carried out with an interval of 1.5 months. Afterwards, the child undergoes revaccination at one and a half years.

This preventive vaccination does not provide a 100% guarantee that the baby will not get sick. Immunity is developed after it in 80-85% of cases, and if the vaccinated person gets sick, he tolerates the disease much easier, and the duration of the disease is significantly reduced.

Immunization is carried out by several types of vaccines. All of them are combined - the anti-pertussis component is administered together with the anti-diphtheria and anti-tetanus components as part of one drug. Vaccines are divided into whole-cell (TETRACOK, DPT) and acellular (Infanrix, Hexaxim, Pentaxim, etc.). Both are effective and trigger the process of producing antibodies to the bacterium that causes pertussis infection.

If a child under 7 years of age has been in contact with a sick person, he is examined for immunity to infection and virus cells in the blood. In this case, all unvaccinated children and infants under one year of age are given anti-measles immunoglobulin for two days in a row.

Whooping cough is dangerous because it can be transmitted even to newborns. In this case, it may not be recognized in time, since in a child under the age of six months, even bronchitis can occur without a cough, so there is a risk of missing time. In children under one year of age, mortality rates from this dangerous infection especially high.

The bacterium Bordetella pertussis is also insidious in that in adults it can cause mild symptoms, and this often prevents timely detection of the disease. Such cases are especially dangerous, since patients who do not receive adequate treatment transmit the infection to others in transport, in the family and at work, and for a long time they do not suspect what the cause of their illness lies.

Analyzing the above information, we can summarize that whooping cough is a serious infectious disease that is transmitted by the only way - airborne droplets. The bacterium that causes this dangerous infection is not able to survive outside the human body, so it does not remain on household items. The only sure way to protect yourself and others from whooping cough is vaccination. The disease is very contagious, especially in the first weeks, so standard preventive measures are practically powerless here.

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Whooping cough is a dangerous infectious disease, the main symptom of which is a paroxysmal cough. Most often, preschool children suffer from this disease, but despite this, both adolescents and adults are at risk. To protect yourself and your child from this disease, you should know how whooping cough is transmitted and what preventive measures are most effective in combating it.

Pathogen and symptoms of infection

Considering that whooping cough is an infectious disease, the question of whether it is contagious or not is simply not worth it. A child or adult may have been infected for a long time, but not feel any signs of illness during the incubation period. The cough does not immediately begin to choke the patient, since the latent phase of the disease can last from five days to 3 weeks. During this time period the person is not contagious.

The primary symptoms of the disease are no different from the common cold: first there is a runny nose, fever and general malaise. After a couple of days, the bacterium begins to secrete a toxin, which irritates the bronchi and trachea and causes paroxysmal coughing. After another five days, thick, transparent sputum begins to appear.

Methods of transmission of whooping cough

Whooping cough is transmitted by airborne droplets - the most common method of transmission of respiratory viral diseases. The ways of its transmission are as follows:

When breathing, coughing and sneezing. In order for infection to occur, contact with the patient must be close. If the distance between a sick person and an uninfected person exceeds 2.5 meters, then the disease cannot be transmitted. Bacteria are released with particles of mucus and saliva and enter the respiratory tract of a healthy person.
With kisses and hugs. This is the surest way to get whooping cough. The patient's saliva enters the oral cavity of a healthy person, and then into the respiratory system, and thus this contagious disease is transmitted.
The disease can also be transmitted through shared cutlery. For example, if a sick mother ate from the same plate with the baby, or the child licked a spoon after an infected person ate with it.
The pathogen does not live on the surface of household objects and, according to doctors, transmission of a dangerous disease by contact is impossible. However, if the baby licks a toy that the patient sneezed on right before, he may get sick. If the particles of mucus and saliva have dried and a little time has passed, then the bacteria will not be able to be transmitted, since they will simply die immediately in the environment.

Duration of infection period

How long is whooping cough contagious? The main period of infection lasts about three weeks. The incidence statistics are as follows:

in the first week, the sick person is especially dangerous for others, since during this time period the bacterium is most active. Upon contact with it during the acute phase, the level of infectivity reaches 100%;
in the second week this figure decreases significantly and is already transmitted to 60%;
in the third week, the bacterium is no longer so aggressive, and whooping cough is transmitted during this period to only 30% of people in contact with the patient;
subsequently, even if symptoms persist for a long time, the infection can only be transmitted to 10% of others.

When, for any reason, the use of such drugs is contraindicated and treatment is carried out with lighter medicines– interferons, homeopathy or antiviral, the child cannot visit a child care facility until the active phase of the disease has completely passed, and this is at least 21 days. In both cases, the cough may persist for more than one week, but the patient with whooping cough is no longer contagious.

Severity of the disease

There are three degrees of severity of the disease:

light form. A person coughs infrequently, with 8-15 coughing attacks per day. In general, the general condition is normal, and the temperature rises to a maximum of 37.5 C;
moderate form. Spasmodic cough bothers 16-25 times a day, while the patient is very exhausted. Symptoms can persist for a long time, and the person continues to be ill for up to 5 weeks;
severe form. The number of attacks reaches 30 times a day. At the same time, the person turns pale, his appetite disappears completely, he begins to lose body weight. Spasmodic cough is so strong that it can lead to suffocation.

Prevention of whooping cough

Primitive preventive measures are important, but ineffective. After close contact with the patient, you should immediately rinse your nose with saline solution and use a humidifier, adding a few drops of fir, eucalyptus or juniper oil. But if the object spreading the infection is going through the acute phase of the disease, then this is unlikely to help, since the infection is transmitted and penetrates very quickly.

Vaccination is considered the only effective remedy. The first vaccination is given to the baby at 3 months of age, after which 2 more immunizations are carried out with an interval of 1.5 months. Afterwards, the child undergoes revaccination at one and a half years.

The bacterium Bordetella pertussis is also insidious in that in adults it can cause mild symptoms, and this often prevents timely detection of the disease. Such cases are especially dangerous, since patients who do not receive adequate treatment transmit the infection to others in transport, in the family and at work, and for a long time they do not suspect what the cause of their illness lies.

Whooping cough is contagious disease, caused by the microbe Bordetella pertussis. You need to know how whooping cough is transmitted.

Some information about whooping cough disease

Whooping cough mainly affects preschool children, but in lately This disease is increasingly affecting adults and adolescents. Newborns get it if their mother's antibodies are not able to protect them from the virus.

The main symptom of whooping cough is a paroxysmal cough. At the beginning of the disease, the patient is most dangerous to others. The severity of the cough determines the degree of contagion, since the release of infected substances from the respiratory tract occurs during attacks.

Infection occurs as follows: coccobacteria enters the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. When the patient breathes, the microbe moves further along the paths in their lower sections. The virus produces a toxin that has negative impact to the mucous membrane. This causes a severe cough.

The disease has a typical and atypical form. The first form is characterized by seizures. The second form appears in an erased form, the cough is normal. The typical form of whooping cough is divided into the following types: mild whooping cough, moderate severity and heavy. Each type is rated by the frequency of attacks:

mild - attacks occur up to 15 times a day;
moderate severity - up to 25 times;
heavy - up to 50 times.

The first symptoms of whooping cough begin to appear after 3-15 days from the moment of infection. On average, this period ranges from 5 to 8 days. The disease progresses quite slowly. There are three periods of the course of the disease:

The first period is the onset of the disease. There is a dry cough, body temperature may rise slightly, and a slight runny nose. Over the course of 1-2 weeks, the cough becomes more debilitating and paroxysmal. U infants this period is much shorter, about a week.
The second period is characterized by coughing attacks, which are jerky in nature. Inhalations are accompanied by a whistle, then a push as you exhale and inhale again with a whistle.
In the third period, the number of attacks increases significantly, up to 50 or even more per day. The attacks are repeated after short periods of time. At such moments, the face of a sick child turns blue, the veins in the neck swell. Tearfulness sets in. When coughing, the head leans forward strongly and the tongue protrudes strongly from the mouth.

In children vaccinated against whooping cough, the disease is erased. There are no complications.

Ways of transmission of whooping cough

Like many infectious diseases, whooping cough has a main route of transmission - airborne droplets. The source of infection is a sick person. In epidemic terms, the most dangerous are patients who have an erased form. Most often these are adults. When talking, coughing or sneezing, the bacteria enters the respiratory system of a healthy person along with the air.

Medicine rejects transmission routes such as household items or toys, since the bacterium Bordetella pertussis is not resistant to the environment and dies instantly in it.

It is believed that whooping cough can be contracted through shared dishes or cutlery. But this is very in rare cases. Kissing is also a cause of infection.

The bacterium, having entered the human body, forms toxic substances. They actively irritate the respiratory tract. A bronchial spasm occurs, which results in a spasmodic cough. The brain reacts sharply to this, developing a cough reflex, which gradually turns into a frequent, paroxysmal cough.

For others, the carrier of the infection is contagious from the first day of illness for three weeks. IN initial stage the disease does not debilitate a person, so he continues to lead his usual lifestyle, communicates with healthy people and infects them.

Gradually the cough gets worse. This period lasts about 10 days. Coughing attacks end with the release of glassy sputum. Vomiting may occur.

Even after treatment, the patient remains slight cough for a long time. Recovery forms a strong immunity against the disease.

Not observed in newborns severe cough or it may be insignificant. But they may experience respiratory arrest. This disease is very dangerous for babies.

Whooping cough is also transmitted through bacterial carriage, a specific human condition characterized by the fact that harmful bacteria live in the body and are released into the environment, but their carrier does not feel any symptoms of the disease.

This form of transmission is not very typical for whooping cough and is not particularly widespread.

How is whooping cough diagnosed and treated?

If a child is exhausted by a cough, parents should take him to a pediatrician. At the appointment, the doctor will examine the patient and question him about contacts with sick children. Usually the lungs are auscultated and prescribed general analysis blood. To make the diagnosis more reliable, the patient is additionally examined by an ENT doctor and an infectious disease specialist. The first specialist will examine the larynx and pharynx, and the infectious disease specialist, after examining and interviewing the patient, will refer him for laboratory tests.

In addition to a blood test, it is possible to prescribe bacteriological research sputum secreted when coughing and smears from the mucous membrane. IN special cases are carried out serological studies. For example, a rapid test for enzyme immunoassay allows you to immediately diagnose the disease. Treatment is prescribed based on research results. If the form mild illness, then the patient is not prescribed bed rest. It is believed that a child needs walks, but not among large crowds of people.

Frequent ventilation of the room where the patient is located is necessary, because the cough is better tolerated when cold temperature air. If the child is cold, it is better to dress him warmly. The room must be moistened. A sick child should be given inhalations and given a lot to drink. This could be juices, fruit drinks, milk, tea, etc.

If the form of the disease is severe or moderate, then patients are placed in a hospital, and children under 1 year of age are hospitalized with any form of whooping cough. Standard-acting antitussives are ineffective in combating this disease, so they are not prescribed. Massage helps in removing mucus and breathing exercises. Destroying the infection medications is not produced due to inexpediency: the bacterium itself is washed out of the body. Antibacterial therapy rarely used, mainly in catarrhal period diseases.

Traditional healers recommend plantain leaf as an expectorant, which also has an anti-inflammatory effect. Plantain is used with milk and honey. Another means traditional medicine is an onion. Tricolor violet also helps with this disease. It is infused in boiling water and drunk several times a day.

Whooping cough is a serious infectious disease that mostly occurs in childhood. Pediatricians assure that this disease can be extremely dangerous for children, and the only measure of protection against it is vaccination. But can whooping cough develop after vaccination?

This infectious disease is provoked by a specific pathogen - a bacterium with the Latin name Bordetella pertussis. It can enter the body of a healthy individual only from a sick person: pathogens are easily transmitted with droplets of saliva through the air during sneezing or coughing, as well as when laughing or talking. In a certain percentage of patients, whooping cough has a mild course, accompanied only by an insignificant cough. Accordingly, such people themselves, without knowing it, become carriers of the infection. If one of the family members is affected by whooping cough, the probability of developing the disease in unvaccinated children reaches eighty percent.

The first manifestations of the disease may become apparent seven to ten days after the infection occurs. But sometimes the incubation period lasts an order of magnitude longer - up to three weeks. Sick people become infectious already at the stage of a runny nose and release the pathogen into the environment until the fifth day from the start of treatment with antibacterial drugs.

Can you get whooping cough if you are vaccinated?

In order to understand whether a vaccinated child can get whooping cough, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of action of the vaccine against this disease. Today, to prevent such a disease, routine vaccination is carried out using DTP - this is the abbreviated name for an adsorbed (purified and weakened) complex vaccine containing killed pertussis bacteria, as well as diphtheria and tetanus toxoid. Doctors may also suggest vaccinating your child with other vaccines that contain pertussis.

Whooping cough vaccinations are given in several stages: at three months, at four and a half months and at six months. Then revaccination is carried out - at one and a half years. Pediatricians claim that vaccination can provide fairly reliable protection against whooping cough for several years. However, over time, the severity of protection gradually decreases.

Even doctors and scientists agree that the effectiveness of whooping cough vaccination does not exceed eighty-five percent. And the average period of post-vaccination immunity is no more than ten to twelve years.

The human body is highly susceptible to the causative agent of whooping cough. And the likelihood of meeting him in everyday life is quite high. Accordingly, it is quite possible to get whooping cough after vaccination.

How does the whooping cough vaccine work?

The vaccine promotes the development of immunity against this disease by simulating infection. Killed whooping cough pathogens introduced along with the vaccine are unable to provoke the development of the disease, however, they train the immune system to produce specific T-lymphocytes and antibodies. After successfully defeating the adsorbed components of the vaccine, the immune system “remembers” all the tools that it used to protect the body. The body retains a certain number of T-lymphocytes, which are also called “memory cells”. When the pathogen enters the body again, such cells are quickly activated and will help cope with the threat as soon as possible.

Repeated administration of the whooping cough vaccine allows the child's body to most effectively learn to recognize dangerous bacteria and quickly destroy them.

It is impossible to get whooping cough from the vaccine, since the vaccine contains non-viable components that cannot cause symptoms of the disease.

Why do vaccinated children get sick?

Vaccination against whooping cough cannot provide 100% protection against the disease. Sometimes, even when vaccinations are carried out according to schedule, the body cannot form full immunity to whooping cough. According to doctors, whooping cough infection after DTP vaccination is explained solely by the individual characteristics of a particular child.

Features of the course of whooping cough in vaccinated children

The disease begins like a common cold. There may be an increase in temperature, runny nose, dry cough, sore throat and sore throat.

Over time, the runny nose disappears and the temperature returns to normal. A characteristic painful cough occurs, in which a specific wheezing inhalation is usually observed in the interval between many cough impulses (this inhalation is called a reprise). The cough can be painful, causing watery eyes, vomiting, and sudden stopping of breathing.
The period of whooping cough can last a very long time - up to six months, but the manifestations gradually fade away. Children become non-infectious twenty-five days after the first symptoms of the disease.

Possible differences in the course of the disease in vaccinated children:

the temperature often does not rise;
health may remain within normal limits;
cough can be moderate, not very frequent and without recurrence;
Whooping cough after DPT vaccination can occur like a normal acute respiratory infection;
The recovery time is shorter than without vaccination.

The course of the disease in most cases is much easier after vaccination.

Features of the treatment of whooping cough in vaccinated children

Keeping the child in the fresh air, preferably near a pond.
Regular ventilation of the apartment and wet cleaning.
The use of special devices for air humidification.
Distracting the child with interesting activities to reduce stimulation of the cough center.

Scheduled revaccination after ten years.
Blood test for immunity strength and, if necessary, revaccination.

Should children be vaccinated against whooping cough?

Today, there is a tendency in society to refuse routine vaccination of children. And information about the possibility of developing the disease after all vaccinations contributes to this. But doctors insist on the need for vaccination because:

Whooping cough is extremely dangerous for babies under one year old; in patients of this age group, it can cause respiratory arrest and death. Vaccination protects the child from a dangerous disease during this period.
According to statistics, whooping cough that occurs after DTP vaccination is easier than without it. The cough in such patients lasts much less, and complications occur less frequently.
Vaccination has reduced the mortality rate from whooping cough by 45 times.

Whooping cough is acute and highest degree contagious respiratory infection. Its causative agent is the Bordet-Gengou bacillus. During infection, bacteria attack the nasopharynx, trachea and lungs, weakening the immune system. Whooping cough is characterized by a paroxysmal cough, followed by a wheezing, convulsive inhalation (reprise). Whooping cough is a very long-lasting disease, which, even in a mild form, can last for several months. After recovery, a person develops immunity to this disease for a period of 4 to 20 years. But you can get whooping cough a second or third time. Currently, more and more people aged 18 years and older are becoming ill with whooping cough. This is largely due to the fact that, having been vaccinated against whooping cough in childhood, people do not protect against it. re-vaccination. Whooping cough is most dangerous for infants because it can stop breathing.

How is whooping cough transmitted?

Whooping cough is transmitted by airborne droplets. When talking, sneezing or coughing, pathogens enter the air through droplets of saliva, then into the respiratory tract and settle on the mucous membranes. Whooping cough can also be transmitted through kissing, and in rare cases through shared cutlery or dishes. The incubation period, that is, the time between infection and the appearance of the first signs of the disease, ranges from 7 to 20 days, the disease usually manifests itself after two weeks. If whooping cough is not treated, the person who has it will remain contagious for six weeks after the onset of the disease. During the first two weeks, the risk of infection is greatest, and after the sixth week it decreases slowly.

Whooping cough: symptoms

Whooping cough can manifest itself in different ways. Its symptoms may differ in children and adults. Typical symptoms of whooping cough in children are:

spasmodic cough (especially at night);
difficult, loud breathing (shortness of breath in about 50% of children);
high temperature;
later - thick expectoration clear mucus;
Possible vomiting during coughing;
Possible redness of the eyes and nosebleeds.

Whooping cough in infants

U infants With whooping cough, a typical cough may not be observed or it may not be so strong. However, instead of it, breathing may stop (apnea), which sometimes leads to the death of the baby. In adults, whooping cough often goes away without characteristic symptoms. There are no coughing attacks, but it itself is present for a long time. For this reason, whooping cough often goes undetected in adults. It is very important to pay attention to a prolonged cough, especially coughing attacks at night - it can be a symptom of whooping cough.

Course of the disease

Whooping cough in children usually goes through three stages: catarrhal, paroxysmal and convalescent.

Catarrhal stage. The first phase of whooping cough begins approximately two weeks after infection, during which nonspecific symptoms, more reminiscent of a cold. Most people start slight cough and runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and hoarseness. In some cases, conjunctivitis may develop.
Paroxysmal stage. After one to two weeks, the patient begins to have typical attacks of dry cough - up to 40 times a day. They are especially disturbing at night, in a state of stress or tension. After some coughing attacks, a little thick, transparent mucus is released. The temperature often rises. After about three weeks, the attacks become less frequent, but they may subsequently recur for five to six weeks.
Recovery stage. The body begins to recover, and coughing attacks become increasingly rare. But residual cough may continue for six to ten weeks, and in some cases full recovery it may even take several months.

Whooping cough: associated diseases

Having caught whooping cough, infants and children of primary preschool age often face complications. In adults, complications are less common. Frequent complications may be:

Otitis.
Pneumonia.
Inflammation of the brain with attacks of convulsions.
Exhaustion and weight loss.

Whooping cough: when to see a doctor?

Since whooping cough may present with atypical symptoms in the first 1-2 weeks, you should definitely consult a doctor so that he can diagnose the disease and begin treatment with antibiotics. At the initial stage, the infection is detected using bacteriological and microbiological methods. To do this, a swab is taken from the child's nose. In special cases, more complex immunofluorescence methods are used, PCR method, with the help of which the pertussis microbe can be detected directly in smears of mucus from the nasopharynx. In the second phase of the disease, diagnosis is simplified due to its manifestation in children typical symptoms diseases. In a controversial situation, the doctor may order a blood test to detect whooping cough antibodies. If whooping cough is diagnosed, the doctor will usually prescribe antibacterial treatment. As a rule, it does not relieve the symptoms of whooping cough, but the patient ceases to be infectious after five days of taking antibiotics. The use of antibiotics at an early stage of the disease can weaken and significantly shorten the course of the disease.

Hospitalization of infants

Since young children do not yet know how to cough, the mucus that accumulates in their lungs during whooping cough must be eliminated in another way. As a rule, this is only possible in a hospital. Under 24-hour medical supervision, respiratory arrest can be quickly detected and taken emergency measures.

Whooping cough: what can you do yourself?

Whooping cough is a long-term and debilitating disease, in order to speed up the baby’s recovery and prevent infection of other people, the following measures must be taken:

Provide the sick person with bed rest. Immune system the child is very weakened. Besides, night cough often prevents him from sleeping. Therefore, it is important to provide the baby with maximum peace and, as far as possible, to protect him from stress and worries.
Report to kindergarten or school about a child’s infection. This information will help stop the spread of infection throughout the facility, and children who are already infected will be able to see a doctor sooner in order to start taking antibiotics in a timely manner.
Give plenty of fluids to drink. If your baby has a high fever or vomiting, his body loses a lot of fluid. To save water balance, he should drink a lot of water (weak herbal tea is also suitable).
Provide suitable air in the room. Fresh, moist indoor air will help ease your baby's breathing. If you don't have a humidifier, you can simply hang a few damp towels in the room. Regular ventilation will also help create a healthy microclimate in the room.
Take care of the child. Spasmodic cough with whooping cough is exhausting not only physically, but also mentally. Surround your child with care and love, calm him down during coughing attacks. This way, the baby will not feel abandoned and will stop panicking.

Whooping Cough: Home Remedies

In addition to antibiotic treatment, you can also use some home remedies to relieve symptoms.

Compress on calves. Verified home remedy at elevated temperature. A cool, damp cloth is placed on the child's shins. The heat emanating from the baby will dissipate and thus cool the baby's body. Detailed Guide How to make a compress on the calves, you will find in the article “Compress on the legs against high temperature.”
Vinegar compress on feet. Same good remedy at elevated temperatures. Before conducting it, lay something on the child’s bed so as not to wet it. Mix five tablespoons of store-bought vinegar with a liter of water. Soak a pair of cotton socks in this solution, wring them out and put them on your feet. On top - a pair of dry socks. The compress will remain in effect until the socks are dry. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated.
Warm compress on chest. Whooping cough can cause lung spasms. To alleviate this condition, you need to relax the chest muscles. To do this, you can make the child warm compress. Boil several large potatoes and mash them. Place the potatoes in an even layer on a towel (1 cm) and let cool to a temperature comfortable for the skin (you can check this by applying a compress to the skin for about 30 seconds). inside forearm). Place a terry towel on the baby's chest first, then the compress itself. When it has cooled down, you can remove the towel.

Whooping cough: prevention

To prevent whooping cough, WHO recommends vaccination. 80% of unvaccinated people become infected upon contact with the whooping cough pathogen. Antibodies against whooping cough that exist in a pregnant woman cannot be transmitted to the fetus, so infants do not have immune defense from this infection. Since whooping cough is especially important in infants severe form, doctors recommend vaccinating children starting from three months. Can be used by unvaccinated adults combination vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. Data immunity infectious diseases is produced in humans for a period of 4 to 12 years, so those vaccinated must undergo regular booster vaccinations.