Hot on HuffPost Parents:
Gay Activists Rally Ahead Of Boy Scouts' Ban Vote
How Long Did Neanderthals Nurse? Old Tooth Yields Answer
Is whooping cough really making a comeback?
Filed under: Places To Go, Health & Safety: Babies
According to government health officials, the number of cases of whooping cough in the U.S. has nearly tripled since 2001. Well, maybe not. That huge jump in cases of whooping cough has been called into question after the diagnostic tests administered in several states were found to be faulty.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a potentially deadly bacterial respiratory infection for which there is a vaccine. To accurately test for whooping cough, at least a week is required to grow the bacteria from a sample from the patient's nose or throat. Since the disease is contagious, that is often too long to wait before taking action, so a quicker, less accurate test is often administered. Nearly half of the 26,000 cases reported in 2005 were diagnosed with a less accurate method that has now been called into question.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now planning a study that will hopefully result in improved and standardized methods of faster testing. Dr. Tom Clark, a CDC epidemiologist, believes that despite the faulty testing, there may really have been an increase in whooping cough, with many cases being undiagnosed. In the meantime, Clark says people should still be getting their pertussis vaccinations.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a potentially deadly bacterial respiratory infection for which there is a vaccine. To accurately test for whooping cough, at least a week is required to grow the bacteria from a sample from the patient's nose or throat. Since the disease is contagious, that is often too long to wait before taking action, so a quicker, less accurate test is often administered. Nearly half of the 26,000 cases reported in 2005 were diagnosed with a less accurate method that has now been called into question.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now planning a study that will hopefully result in improved and standardized methods of faster testing. Dr. Tom Clark, a CDC epidemiologist, believes that despite the faulty testing, there may really have been an increase in whooping cough, with many cases being undiagnosed. In the meantime, Clark says people should still be getting their pertussis vaccinations.
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
Recently Asked
RelatedVideos
-
The Truth About Fertility Drugs
Fertility specialist Dr. Millie Behara and breast specialist Dr. Kristi Funk answer questions about fertility drugs.
-
Breakthrough with a Bedtime Routine
Valorie Burton for Focus on the Family provides tips on how to get your child to go to bed without an argument.
-
Dr. Phil's Advice to a Workaholic Dad
Does your spouse constantly check work e-mails and texts, when he or she should be spending time with the family? Dr. Phil offers advice to one mom who says her husband is married to his work.
-
Explaining Feminine Products to Children
Moms: Has your child stumbled upon one of your tampons or pads? Learn how to talk to them about your feminine products.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
9-10-2007 @ 1:30PM
S. Kelly said...Yes, I do believe it. Let me share my own experience...
Last summer, my eldest daughter developed a cough. This went on about 10 days before I went to the doctor. Pediatrician diagnosed it as allergies and put her on allergy medicine.
Two weeks later, I developed the same cough.
I have allergy asthma and attributed it to what everyone around here was calling, "Katrina Cough" (we live in SE Louisiana). My doctor prescribed some cough syrup and an inhaler. A week or so later, my middle daughter developed the same cough. Again, we head to the pediatrician who put her on allergy meds as well.
Oldest daughter is STILL coughing and it's been a month, so the Dr. changes her meds and orders her to use a nasal spray as well.
Another month goes by. Kids are still coughing and I'm about to burst a blood vessel, I'm coughing so hard. I go back to the Dr. and he diagnoses bronchitis, but I have had bronchitis a dozen times in my life and I KNOW this is NOT bronchitis! He puts me a lightweight antibiotic anyway.
Another month goes by; kids are still coughin and I'm still coughing; Now hubby starts coughing. He goes to the doctor and same old story: allergy meds and cough syrup.
PLEASE NOTE: My dh, myself, and all of my children are FULLY UP-TO-DATE on their vaccinations.
After FOUR (4) MONTHS of non-stop coughing, I finally take the kids back to the pediatrician demanding an answer because I *KNOW* this is NOT allergies. This time, she says, "Uh Oh."
She explains to me that the CDC has issued a letter to all doctors in our area to be aware of an outbreak of Pertussis. She does the bloodwork on my children: POSITIVE for Pertussis!
She puts ALL of us on the correct anti-biotic and within 2 weeks, we are cough-free.
Honestly, I believe the disease is mutating and no longer responding correctly or consistently with the traditional vaccine. That said, my 3-year-old (who had the vaccine the previous year) was the ONLY one in our family NOT to get whooping cough.
I encourage ANYONE who has had a persistent cough for more than a month to DEMAND to be tested for Pertussis so that the results can be reported to the CDC.
Who knows how many people we exposed to this potentially-deadly illness before it was correctly diagnosed?
Reply
9-10-2007 @ 2:00PM
Kris said...Like all vaccinations, the one for pertussis does't guarantee that you won't get it. Whooping cough is common place in Canada's north. In many instances it is due to lack of vaccinations.
Reply
9-11-2007 @ 10:43AM
Heather said...Both my son and I had it even though he had the vaccine.
Reply