After entering the winter season
There is a high incidence of respiratory diseases
Quite a few children have a cough
"Ahem, cough, cough" non-stop
It's always bad to cough repeatedly? What's going on?
Recently, some people on the Internet said that the reported incidence of whooping cough has increased significantly compared with the same period in previous years, and some netizens also said that there are several cases of whooping cough that they know around them. Could it be whooping cough?
What is whooping cough? Is it really abnormally elevated? Is it because the child's cough is not good?
What is whooping cough?
Pertussis is an acute respiratory infection caused by B. pertussis infection. It is characterized by paroxysmal spasmodic cough and a deep "rooster" inspiratory echo at the end of the cough, and the course of the disease is often prolonged for 2-3 months, so it is called whooping cough.
The disease is highly contagious and mostly occurs in infants and young children. Infants and critically ill patients may develop pneumonia or pertussis encephalitis. This disease is a Class B notifiable infectious disease.
Source: Jiangsu CDC
Clinical manifestations of pertussis:
In the early stage of the disease, there may be low-grade fever, cough, sneezing, tearing and other manifestations. At first, it is a single dry cough, and the cough worsens after the fever subsides in 2~3 days, especially at night. After the 7th ~ 14th day, the fever subsides and paroxysmal spasms appear, often short, 10~30 short coughs, followed by deep and long inhalation. When you inhale, air passes through the narrow, tense vocal cords and produces a "rooster-like" croup. This is followed by repeated bouts of cough until a large amount of mucous sputum is coughed up or vomited with stomach contents. Cramps are often evident at night. Older children and adults may have no typical spastic cough.
Epidemiological features of pertussis:
Pertussis patients, latent infections, and carriers are the source of infection, and the transmission is mainly through droplets or respiratory secretions excreted by patients.
The population is generally susceptible, and children under 5 years of age are more likely to be susceptible. The incubation period is generally 7-10 days. It is most contagious from the end of the incubation period to 2-3 weeks after illness.
Has the incidence of whooping cough increased?
As a notifiable infectious disease, pertussis is monitored and reported by the state. From January to November 2023, a total of 29,079 cases of whooping cough were reported nationwide, of which the incidence increased significantly from July, and a total of 6,410 cases were reported in November, as shown in the figure below.
Figure National pertussis reports from January to November 2023
Statistical analysis of the reported cases of pertussis in China in the past 15 years shows that in recent years, the overall reported cases of pertussis in China have shown a significant upward trend, as shown in the figure below.
Highlights: The recent upward trend in the number of reported pertussis cases nationwide is obvious, which once again reminds everyone that we need to pay more attention.
How do you know if you have whooping cough?
If your child has the clinical manifestations of whooping cough above, it is best to go to the hospital.
Routine blood tests typically show a marked increase in the total number of white blood cells, up to 20 to 50 x 109/L, with lymphocyte elevation predominantly. At present, the most widely used test is pertussis nucleic acid, and a nasopharyngeal swab taken within 3 weeks of onset can be positive with a PCR test. If pertussis is diagnosed, cooperate with your doctor for treatment.
How can it be prevented?
1
Vaccinations
Vaccination is one of the important ways to prevent pertussis, and children in mainland China should receive one dose each between the ages of 3, 4, 5 months and 18~24 months after birth. As immunity levels decline with age, older children, adults, and those trying to conceive can get a booster to improve their immunity.
It is important to note that pertussis vaccination or natural infection does not result in long-lasting immunity and can be reinfected. Therefore, it is still necessary to do a good job of daily personal hygiene precautions.
2
Cut off the route of transmission
Control the source of infection and cut off the route of transmission, i.e., timely treatment and respiratory isolation of the patient, which should be isolated until 5 days after effective antibiotic treatment or 21 days after the onset of illness.
In addition, confirmed cases should be isolated at home or hospitalized in strict accordance with the doctor's instructions, and wear a mask until the cough disappears. The patient's room should be ventilated regularly, wetted and cleaned, and the clothes and quilts should be dried frequently, without terminal disinfection. The sputum and vomit of the case can be disinfected with chlorine-containing preparations such as bleaching powder. Close contacts were placed under medical observation for 21 days, and suspected cases were found to be isolated and treated in a timely manner. During the period of medical observation in childcare institutions, morning and afternoon inspections and tracking of absenteeism due to illness should be strengthened.
Source: Suzhou Health