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Cause:
Bacterium
Bordetella pertussis.
Illness and treatment:
Classic pertussis symptoms include initial cold-like
manifestations followed by an extended cough illness lasting
for weeks with spasms of severe coughing (paroxysms) ending
in a gasp, whoop, or vomiting. Infants may have feeding
difficulties, and often become apneic. Treatment is with
antibiotics and supportive care.
Sources:
Humans, often older
adolescents and adults with mild symptoms not recognized as
pertussis, are the reservoir and transmit pertussis through
respiratory droplets or direct contact.
Additional risks:
Complications, which include pneumonia, seizures,
encephalopathy, and rarely death, occur most often in very
young infants.
Prevention:
Universal immunization
including booster doses can reduce the risk of infection and
generally prevents severe illness. Respiratory and hand
hygiene can prevent transmission.
Recent Washington trends:
Numbers of cases
reported vary considerably, ranging from 184 to 1026 cases a
year. There is also variation among health jurisdictions
reflecting local outbreaks.
2008:
460 cases (7.0 cases/100,000
population) were reported with one infant death. Rates were
highest for children under a year (69.9/100,000) and 5 to 9
years (22.5/100,000). About a third of cases were reported
as “up to date” for pertussis vaccine. Of the 118 cases
(26%) associated with outbreaks, 80 (68%) were related to an
outbreak in Island County (see special topics).
Purpose of Reporting and
Surveillance
- To prevent illness and death among high-risk persons and
among persons who may transmit pertussis to high-risk
persons
- To identify and evaluate contacts and recommend
appropriate preventive measures, including exclusion,
antibiotic prophylaxis and/or immunization
- To educate exposed persons about signs and symptoms of
disease, thereby facilitating early diagnosis and treatment
and preventing further spread
- To vaccinate exposed, underimmunized children
- To monitor the
epidemiology of pertussis in Washington state
Legal Reporting Requirements
-
Health care providers: immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction.
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Hospitals: immediately notifiable to
local health jurisdiction.
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Laboratories: notifiable to local
health jurisdiction within 2 work days.
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Local health jurisdictions:
notifiable to the Washington State Department of Health
Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section within 7
days of case investigation completion or summary information
required within 21 days.
Last
update
November 2009 |
