Who is affected by whooping cough
Who is affected by whooping cough
Whooping cough is most serious in babies younger than 4 months of age. Usually, the younger the infant, the more serious the illness.
In the United States in 2001 through 2003:1
- Whooping cough occurred in 33 people out of 1,000,000, on average.
- The occurrence of whooping cough among children and adolescents ages 10 to 19 almost doubled.
It is likely that a much higher number of people become infected with whooping cough than is reported. This may be in part because teens and adults usually have a milder form of the disease and don't see a doctor for treatment. Also, doctors may not always recognize mild symptoms as being related to whooping cough, and lab tests do not always detect the disease.
References
Citations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005). Pertussis—United States, 2001–2003. MMWR 54(50): 1283–1286. Also available online: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5450.pdf.
Credits
| Author | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Christine Hahn, MD - Epidemiology |
| Last Updated | January 4, 2008 |
| Last updated: | January 04, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Reviewed By: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Christine Hahn, MD - Epidemiology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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