Pertussis
Clinical and lab study of a re-emerging disease in small infants and adolescents
Abstract
Introduction: pertussis or whooping cough, a disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, was typically a children’s disease. Changes in the clinical presentation have been reported for years. There are more cases in adolescents and young adults with non-typical symptoms, as well as in small infants, who are still not protected by vaccines, some of them serious and lethal. According to the World Health Organization, it ranks fifth in the vaccine preventable causes of death. In order to modify immunization plans it is important to learn about epidemiology in each country.
Objetive: the present research aims to contribute to find out whether pertussis is still present among hospitalized infants at the Pereira Rossel Hospital Center.
Method: we conducted an observational, longitudinal and prospective study from January 1 through December 31, 2008. All infants under 6 months admitted to the Pereira Rossell Hospital Center, who had a clinical diagnosis suspicious of pertussis were included in the study, when accompanied leukocytosis equal to or over 20.000/mm³. We studied Bordetella pertussis through the polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR).
Results: according to the previously defined criteria, 26 infants were included in the study. PCR was found positive in ten patients. Average age was 2 months, average cough was 11 days, 6/10 children had not been immunized. In 8/10 cases there were coughing people in their domicile.
Conclusions: we confirm the existence of pertussis in infants who are users of the public sector. We need to disseminate the problem and discuss new vaccine strategies that contribute to controlling the disease.
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