- Whooping cough, Tracheobronchittis, Pertussis spread by droplets, humans and higher primates are the known reservoirs (5)
- Bordetella pertussis, aerobic, gram- bacteria, small rods or coccobacilli, fastidious (5)
- Descriptions of pertussis date back to the 1500 with the first written account in 1640 and epidemiologist Baillou. Bordet and Gengou first identified the organism in 1900. (1)
- Fever, malaise, leukocytosis, sneezing, cough followed by ìwhoopî, lacrimation, seizures, paroxysmal coughing are all symptomatic of the disease (5)
- Tracheal cytotoxin - kills ciliated cells of airwayÖendotoxin - associated with all gram negative bacteriaÖfilamentous hemmoaglutinin ñ allows adhesion to respiratory tractÖ pertussis toxin ñ inhibits function of phagocytesÖbacterial adenyl cyclase ñ elevates intracellular level of c-AMP (4)
- Treatment with erythromycin limits infectious period to 5-10 days. Inactivated whole cell vaccines are available but can cause toxic effects. Acellular vaccines are now being used for boosters and may soon be used for primary vaccines (3)
- DPT vaccine protects against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. The vaccine is given in a series of injections starting with a child as young as 2 months. A booster is given at age 4 to 6. Mild side effects often accompany the injection such as mild fever, crankiness, and tenderness at the site of injection (2)
Works cited
1. Pertussis in 1943 by Jan Pelosi Updated/written 11/9/99 http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/immunize/uparch/s01blast.htm Visited 05/04/02
2. Author unknown Diphtheria immunization (vaccines) Updated 08/22/01 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002018.htm Visited 05/06/02
3. Carl Heinz Wirsing von Koenig Bordetella Updated/written unknown http://gsbs.utmb.edu/microbook/ch031.htm Visited 05/02/02
4. Bordetella pertussis Dr Tadayo Hashimoto M.D. Updated: August 5, 1996, Created: August 2, 1996 http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/DeptWebs/microbio/med/review/b-pert.htm Visited 05/06/02
5. Bordetella pertussis Donna Duckworth Ph.D., Richard Crandall Ph.D. and Richard Rathe M.D. Updated: October 6, 1997 http://www.medinfo.ufl.edu/year2/mmid/bms5300/bugs/borpert.html Visited 05/06/02