RS says it is on alert for a possible increase in whooping cough cases.

a Whooping cough Grown in Brazil and around the world. In connection with the report People's mailThe Rio Grande do Sul State Health Department (SES) has confirmed 14 cases of the disease in Rio Grande do Sul state this year. The number, according to the department, does not represent a significant increase in notifications of complications in the Republic of Srpska, but the agency says it is on alert for increases in other states.

Whooping cough is a contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It is found worldwide. Dry coughing fits are its main feature and it can also affect the trachea and bronchi. Moreover, babies under six months of age and the elderly are the most at risk groups. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.

At least 17 EU countries have reported an increase in whooping cough cases. – Between January and December last year, 25,130 incidents were reported on the continent. From January to March this year, 32,037 cases were recorded in the region across age groups, with the highest incidence among children under one year of age, followed by groups aged 5 to 9 and 1 to 4 years.

In Brazil, the data published by the Ministry of Health only rises to June 6 This year, according to statistics, 115 cases have been confirmed nationwide. In the whole of 2023, the number has reached 217.

According to the SES, which has data up to July 614 cases of the disease have been confirmed in Republika Srpska. By the same period in 2023, there were 11 cases, and throughout last year the number reached 22 cases.

According to the ministry, São Paulo and Paraná have recorded the highest infection rates. The first state has confirmed more than 100 cases, most of them in people between the ages of 10 and 14.

For the infectious diseases specialist at Grupo Hospitalar Conceição (GHC), André Luiz Machado, the trend is that whooping cough will not have any “explosion of cases” in Republika Srpska. “It is a disease whose incidence increases in periods, especially in winter, considering the difficulty of maintaining ventilation of environments. But we have an easy and possible treatment, and a prevention based on vaccines with long-term use.”, the specialist analyzes

Other symptoms of whooping cough include: general malaise, runny nose and low-grade fever. “The coughing attack is so frequent that eventually the individual develops swelling of the lower respiratory tract and gasps for breath, making a kind of stridor. This is a very characteristic feature of the disease, but it does not mean that all individuals with whooping cough will have these clinical manifestations,” the doctor highlights.

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How does transmission occur?

Whooping cough is transmitted mainly through direct contact between an infected person and an unvaccinated person through droplets expelled by coughing, sneezing, or even talking.

In some cases, transmission can occur through objects recently contaminated with patient secretions. This is uncommon, because it is difficult for the pathogen to survive outside the human body, but it is not impossible.

Vaccination is critical, but not as widely received as it should be.

In children, immunity to the disease is acquired after they receive three doses of the vaccine, which requires a booster at 15 months and 4 years of age. According to Machado, many adults suffer complications from whooping cough because they do not receive booster doses of the vaccine, which must be done every ten years.

treatment

Whooping cough is primarily treated with antibiotics, which should be prescribed by a specialist, depending on the case. It is important to seek a healthcare facility to receive proper diagnosis and treatment as soon as the first signs and symptoms appear. Often, children are hospitalized when diagnosed with whooping cough, as their symptoms are more severe and can be fatal.