Pertussis Research Paper

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Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system. It is characterised by a high pitched 'whoop' sound when the infected person coughs. Pertussis can affect people of any age, however is most problematic and can be deadly in infants younger than one year [17]. Even though pertussis is not the deadly disease it used to be, it is still something that parents and carers of infants need to be aware of in order to protect their child.

Cause
Pertussis is caused by the bacteria, Bordetella pertussis. B. pertussis' virulence factors interrupt the normal process of cilia [19]. Cilia are microscopic, hair-like structures that are attached to epithelial cells and are located in the lungs, respiratory tract and ears. Cilia produce a wave-like motion to help remove foreign substances out of the body [16]. The cilia that line the trachea expel mucus, bacteria, viruses and dead cells [19].

B. pertussis produce a toxin (pertussis toxin) and a protein (filamentous hemagglutinin, abbreviated to FHA) that allow the bacteria to bind strongly to ciliated epithelial cells. After binding to the cells, B. pertussis releases additional toxins. These toxins include the invasive adenylate cyclase and the tracheal toxin, which inhibit …show more content…
If pertussis is diagnosed at the catarrhal stage the disease will not persist into the two other stages, and antibiotics are recommended and effective [5]. However, diagnosis is very difficult and rare at this stage, as the symptoms resemble a low-grade fever and is often mistaken for bronchitis [23]. If diagnosed after four weeks, antibiotics are still considered, however not always effective [7]. Azithromycin, clarithromycin and erythromycin are the preferred macrolide antibiotics [5]. Azithromycin is most preferred for infants younger than 1 month of age, whereas clarithromycin is used for children that can't swallow tablets [5,

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