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Bordatella pertussis

• Gram-negative coccobacillus

Diseases

• Whooping cough

Transmission

• highly contagious
• droplet spread

History

• 90% in under 5s
• incubation 7-10 days
• catarrhal stage (highly infectious)
  • malaise
  • anorexia
  • mucoid rhinorrhea
  • conjunctivitis
• paroxysmal stage (1/52 later, for approximately 2 weeks)
  • paroxysms of coughing
    • characteristic inspiratory 'whoop' in younger patients
    • usually terminate in vomiting
  • conjunctival suffusions / pethechaiae
  • ulceration of frenulum of tongue

Complications

• pneumonia
• atelectasis
• rectal prolapse
• inguinal hernia
• cerebral anoxia → convulsions

Investigations

• full blood count
  • lymphocytosis (>90% WBC)
• naso-pharyngeal swab

Treatment

• Erythromycin in early stage

Prevention / Control

• isolation of individuals
• immunisation