Challenges of pertussis in early infancy

Abstract EN

Pertussis (whooping cough) is an infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.

It causes an irritating cough that often develops into prolonged bouts of cough which is commonly followed by the characteristic ‘whoop’ sound.

Infants always present with apnea and cyanosis instead of whoop.

We report a three-month-old female infant who was brought to the hospital for her first vaccination against pertussis and was found to have prolonged bouts of cough.

Close clinical observation of the characteristics of the cough was a vital indicator of her diagnosis.

The diagnosis of pertussis was confirmed by positive nasopharyngeal swab culture with Bordetella.

Diagnosis of pertussis in early infancy can be missed.

This is due to the overlap with other diseases such as bronchiolitis and bronchopneumonia associated with viral infections.

Early vaccination according to the scheduled time can lead to prevention of pertussis.

There is significant improvement and good response to the treatment with macrolides