Whooping cough is a disease caused by a specific type of bacteria that can be passed from an infected person to a he althy person. A sore throat produces sputum that contains pertussis viruses when coughing. This sputum, imperceptibly for oneself, can be inhaled by a person standing next to him, who will see for himself whether whooping cough is contagious or not. Bacteria inhibit new receptors, causing coughing fits, which in especially severe cases turn into vomiting spasms.
Bacteria that causes whooping cough
Whooping cough is an infectious disease affecting the respiratory organs and part of the central nervous system. Its characteristic feature is a cough with slight convulsions. The whooping cough bacterium has its own name - Borde-Jangu, or simply whooping cough stick.
Stick Borde-Zhangu is of three types. The first one is more aggressive, the other two are softer. But the age and he alth of the patient can either improve or complicate these factors.
Transmission routes of bacteria
A sick person can infect anyone who is at a distance of twohalf a meter from him. The disease is transmitted through the air, affecting those closest to it. Such a bacterium dies almost instantly under sunlight, therefore it is not able to survive on household items.
Any person can get sick from the moment of his birth. But the majority of patients are small children. The peak of epidemics falls on the period from November to March. Parents, trying to protect their child from viruses, limit his movement, giving priority to home, kindergarten or school. Thus, they provoke a decrease in children's immunity and cause a greater susceptibility to diseases that are transmitted from peers. But, having been ill with whooping cough at least once, the child's body receives antibodies that in every possible way prevent the repetition of the situation.
Newborns are a special group of patients. As a rule, such babies have not yet grown up to the age of vaccination, which puts their life at risk in case of infection with whooping cough (60% of deaths). Therefore, parents should keep under control any suspicious changes in the he alth of the baby. When there are suspicions about the presence of an infection in the child's body or in his own body, you need to go to a specialized hospital, which will determine the disease within half an hour.
Danger of whooping cough
Doctors unequivocally answer the question of whether whooping cough is contagious or not. Yes, it's contagious. It can be determined by the presence of coughing fits, which first increases, then subsides. It is he who is called the first symptom of whooping cough. It poses a particular danger due to the narrowchild's windpipe. Severe spasms, which reduce the already narrow gap between the walls, can cause suffocation and, accordingly, death.
Disease prevention
Vaccination can be a guaranteed prevention of the disease. The vaccination is carried out from the age of three months of any child, the drug includes toxins intended for the prevention of tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. But if the child is weak and has previously shown too sharp a reaction to the vaccine, then it is done without those substances that give protection against whooping cough. Therefore, infection can occur in any case.
The vaccine gives almost 100% immunity to only 85% of those vaccinated. Others still remain at risk, but vaccination gives confidence in a milder course of the disease. Therefore, the parents of a vaccinated child do not have to worry about whether whooping cough is contagious or not. The vaccine is valid for 12 years, so it must be repeated periodically.
How does illness manifest itself?
The onset of the disease is not much different from the common cold. The patient is tormented by a cough that sends spasms through the mucous membranes of the throat. This is how the Borde-Jangu wand works, whose toxins gradually reach the brain. They interfere with the patient's attempts to cough, limiting his ability to superficial function.
Immediately the cough is followed by a breath that resembles a dull whistle. This whistle is caused by constriction of the larynx poisoned by whooping cough, and when the airpasses through it, there is a semblance of a whistle. Therefore, the patient's cough becomes similar to the cry of a rooster.
The attack ends with coughing up wet particles or vomiting. At such moments, any sick child can frighten their parents: the face is bright red, the veins in the neck are swollen, the blood vessels in the eyes burst, giving them a red tint, the tears flow without ceasing, and the tongue with a curved tip sticks out.
Often, the tongue rubs its lower surface against the teeth, rubbing the mucous membrane until ulcers appear. Even if there is no doubt, these sores, together with the specific cry of a rooster, put an end to the diagnosis of whooping cough.
Favorable conditions for infection
They are:
- Proximity of a sick person for a long time (more than 60 minutes). The danger increases when he althy people do not take care of special dressings and other protective equipment.
- A he althy person talks to a sick person, forgetting to move away (distance less than 1 meter).
- Direct contact with the secretions of the patient: saliva, sputum, and so on.
The contagious period of whooping cough lasts about a month. If the doctor managed to pick up a strong antibiotic, then the patient can be approached already on the fifth day.
For young children, relatives and parents are especially dangerous. They, without realizing it, are capable of being carriers of whooping cough. Therefore, harmless kisses, hugs, or just coughing next to babies can cause a weakened body toget sick. In this case, parents need to urgently consult a doctor who will explain all the details of the disease, its treatment and answer the question of how much whooping cough is contagious.
Disease development
The incubation period lasts about 21 days, so the very fact of infection may go unnoticed. Because of this, it is impossible to specifically name the number of days that a person with whooping cough is contagious.
Usually, at the end of the incubation period, the first symptoms begin to appear. At first, whooping cough develops as a completely standard cold, just a little protracted. Initial symptoms:
- Sore throat.
- Slight fever.
- General weakness.
- Infrequent cough.
On the 15th day, all existing symptoms almost disappear, prompting the patient to falsely think that he is recovering. The only disturbing symptom is a dry cough, which constricts the patient's throat with its spasms. It testifies to the presence of whooping cough, which infects everyone around for so long. His characteristic features:
- Only appears at night. Daytime attacks are very rare.
- Lack of a fleeting cough. If the patient begins to cough, then the attack lasts about 2 minutes. A peculiar cough can appear up to several times in one hour.
- When the cough stops, the patient feels great.
At times like these, the whooping cough stick damages the miniature bronchioles. The toxins it produces kill the lining of the respiratory tract,causing them to necrosis. During the next attack, the dying tissue transmits impulses to the brain area. That, in turn, forms a permanent focus of excitation, causing more seizures.
With the right treatment in a couple of weeks, the patient will begin to recover. For a while, the cough will make itself felt. But it no longer contains those bacteria that can infect a he althy body. The reason for its periodic appearance is that the cough is caused by the action of toxins, and not the wand itself. In order to completely cleanse the body of them, it will take time. But this period will not be included in the number of days that whooping cough is contagious.
Possibility of infection on the street
Despite the general opinion, the baby should never be kept at home all the time, even if it is winter frosts outside. His immunity should be formed under any weather conditions. Timely vaccinations and well-formed personal hygiene skills in a child are an excellent prevention of a dangerous disease.
Any specialist will answer positively the question of whether whooping cough is contagious or not. But this point requires further clarification. Whooping cough sticks without favorable conditions of a living organism die very quickly under the sun's rays. Therefore, in order to pick up at least the minimum required amount of bacteria, you need to stand almost close to the patient, and for quite a long time.
If the environment lacks ventilation and little to no sunlight, the bacterium can extend its lifespan. Therefore, in such conditionsShe will find a new owner. But this is no reason to avoid all closed public spaces. By taking precautions and seeing a specialist regularly, you can reduce the chance of infection.
Reinfection
Such cases are the exception to the rule, but sometimes they do happen. Sick children are treated under the supervision of specialists who force their immunity to produce special antibodies that successfully destroy the whooping cough bacillus. Therefore, most children who get sick again cough for a completely different reason, not caused by the infamous bacterium. And if at this moment there are other children next to them, then the latter are in relative safety.
Within a few years, the immune system stops responding to this bacterium, so vaccinations must be done regularly. Without them, the body is more difficult to tolerate all the symptoms associated with the disease. The vaccine also affects how long pertussis is contagious.
If infection does occur, you should immediately consult a doctor. Age is no barrier to a wand. About 12% of patients are teenagers and adults.
Adult with whooping cough
Is whooping cough contagious to adults? Yes, adult infection is quite possible. If a person's immune system is very weak, then the likelihood of infection with the whooping cough bacterium increases. Vaccines given to adults are active for a rather short time - about 6 years. Therefore, it is recommended to vaccinate not only children, but alsoadults.
