Health & Fitness
Health Alert - Whooping Cough is Epidemic
Whooping cough, pertussis. There is an adult epidemic. It starts flu-like or cold-like, then "paroxysmal" coughing fits take your breath away. That's "100-day cough".
Doctors call it an epidemic - Whooping cough, pertussis, 100-day cough, whatever you want to call it. Especially among adults there is currently an epidemic. It starts as a flu-like or cold-like illness, then the coughing gets worse, with "paroxysmal" fits that take your breath away. If, after a while you go see the doctor he does the usual, temperature, throat, lymph glands, lungs and heart. Then, he or she might send you for an X-ray which will come back unremarkable, or the lung function test will say "normal", whether or not you were coughing like crazy after each deep exhale. The test isn't 100%, but involves a blood sample that is checked for antibodies. I don't know how, but they can distinguish between existing immunity and fighting the bug.
When diagnosed, a course with antibiotics kills the bacteria (Bordetella pertussis), but the cough lingers for weeks. If you don't need to work, like me - retired - that is one thing, but if you have to go to work, you were infecting others while coughing. The public health nurse said anyone who was in contact with you for more than 10 hours per week should get themselves checked. The disease is contagious from before you really get ill till some time after the height of symptoms. I hope that after antibiotics you're not really infectious anymore. The incubation time (time between exposure and getting sick) is anywhere up to 21 or more days.
When you suspect that you have been exposed but are not ill yet, or even if you are still healthy and NOT exposed, a vaccination with the adult vaccine for the triple combination, often called Tdap, is in order. The childhood vaccination or immunity after having had the disease wears off, and this booster provides protection. See your doctor and <http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pertussis/recs-summary.htm>. Three months of coughing and cough medicines isn't worth it, even if you have to pay for this vaccination. Remember, in this case prevention is sooo much better than treatment.
