Josie Caskey
Health Behavior & Health Promotion
Phillips
6 Sept 2016
Topic Brief: Pertussis For my health topic I choose the infectious disease, pertussis. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a very contagious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Infection occurs from breathing in the bacteria carried on droplets of others coughs and sneezes. The bacteria then attaches itself to the lining of the airways in the respiratory system which allows the release of toxins that prohibit the lungs from moving fluids and germs out. Because of this, mucus is concentrated in the lungs and causes an uncontrollable cough. The brutal cough makes it very hard to breath, and coughing fits cause people to take deep breaths developing the loud “whooping” noise that characterizes this illness. However for babies, many don’t develop the cough at all and instead just stop breathing. This illness is violent and can continue for weeks. Anyone can become infected with this disease, but the …show more content…
Pertussis spreads very easily and can infect up to 12-15 people through coughing and sneezing alone. Family members or caregivers that don’t realize they have the disease expose the majority of babies infected. Half of babies under the age of one that contract pertussis need hospital care, and 1 out of every 100 babies who are treated in the hospital die (CDC). This is a huge problem and with right precautions taken, can be avoided.
For that reason, this topic is important to me. A lot can be done with proper prevention measures, and as a future public health practitioner I know how important vaccinations are. As many continue to refuse vaccination for their children there are many risks that follow, such as the re-emergence of pertussis. This needs to be stopped, and can, with proper education, improved diagnostics, and herd
Health Behavior & Health Promotion
Phillips
6 Sept 2016
Topic Brief: Pertussis For my health topic I choose the infectious disease, pertussis. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a very contagious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Infection occurs from breathing in the bacteria carried on droplets of others coughs and sneezes. The bacteria then attaches itself to the lining of the airways in the respiratory system which allows the release of toxins that prohibit the lungs from moving fluids and germs out. Because of this, mucus is concentrated in the lungs and causes an uncontrollable cough. The brutal cough makes it very hard to breath, and coughing fits cause people to take deep breaths developing the loud “whooping” noise that characterizes this illness. However for babies, many don’t develop the cough at all and instead just stop breathing. This illness is violent and can continue for weeks. Anyone can become infected with this disease, but the …show more content…
Pertussis spreads very easily and can infect up to 12-15 people through coughing and sneezing alone. Family members or caregivers that don’t realize they have the disease expose the majority of babies infected. Half of babies under the age of one that contract pertussis need hospital care, and 1 out of every 100 babies who are treated in the hospital die (CDC). This is a huge problem and with right precautions taken, can be avoided.
For that reason, this topic is important to me. A lot can be done with proper prevention measures, and as a future public health practitioner I know how important vaccinations are. As many continue to refuse vaccination for their children there are many risks that follow, such as the re-emergence of pertussis. This needs to be stopped, and can, with proper education, improved diagnostics, and herd