Pertussis, also known by the names pertussis, long cough, squealing cough and spasmodic cough, is a bacterial disease what reaches the respiratory system whose complications - convulsions, pneumonias and encephalopathies - can lead the individual to death.
caused by Bordetella pertussis and B. parapertussis, is disseminated through saliva droplets and aerosols and, in the body, damages the mucosal tissues. Your incubation period it varies between five and twenty-one days.
The first symptoms are similar to flu and consist of cough, runny nose, fever and irritated eyes: belonging to the catarrhal stage. The next stage, paroxysmal, develops about two weeks after the previous one and is characterized by successive coughing attacks, with variable intervals. These may be accompanied by mucus, and vomiting is possible.
Such events last for a few minutes with each crisis and prevent the individual from breathing until they are over. At the end, breathing is resumed, usually by a “breathing screech”. At
About six weeks after the beginning of the onset of the disease, the symptoms start to disappear, progressively, until its end: the convalescence stage.
This bacterial disease is more serious when it occurs in children a few months old, as their resistance is lower and the momentary lack of oxygen can affect the body. Thus, in some cases, hospitalization is required.
For diagnosis, observation of the patient and his symptoms is necessary. Exams of blood and, in some cases, culture of the secretions in order to identify the presence of the bacteria in the organism, complement the exam.
O treatment it must be done under medical supervision and basically consists of the use of antibiotics. As for prevention, the early use of the vaccine is essential. In children, it is distributed free of charge at health centers and is given in three doses (at 2, 4 and 6 months of age) and two boosters (at 15 months and at 4 years), maintaining the immunization for approximately ten years old.
THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH WARNS:
Self-medication can have unwanted and unanticipated effects, as the wrong medicine not only does not cure, it can worsen your health.
By Mariana Araguaia
Graduated in Biology
Brazil School Team
Diseases Caused by Bacteria - Illnesses - Brazil School