Pertussis
Description: Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a disease of the respiratory tract caused by bacteria that live in the mouth, nose, and throat. Many children who contract pertussis have coughing spells that last four to eight weeks. The disease is most dangerous in infants. Pertussis spreads very easily from child to child in droplets produced by coughing or sneezing
Prevention: Inactivated whole cell wP or acellular aP - at least 3 primary doses, given by the intramuscular route, combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoid
2011 global figures
| 139,382 reported cases | |
| 195,000 estimated deaths (2008) | |
| 83% estimated DTP3 coverage | |
Statistics on Pertussis
