With nearly 6,000 cases recorded since the beginning of the year, whooping cough is experiencing a strong rebound in France, according to figures published this Tuesday, June 4, by the Pasteur Institute. In all of 2023, 495 cases were recorded, compared to 67 in 2022 and 34 in 2021.
“We know this disease, its epidemiology, it occurs cyclically every three to five years, the last cycle having arrived in 2017-2019, we expected this peak to arrive, but we did not expect it to be so important,” explains Julie Toubiana, deputy director of the National Center of Whooping Cough Reference of the Pasteur Institute, to BFMTV.
Given this resurgence of the disease, BFMTV.com takes stock of the symptoms of the disease and the appropriate actions to take in case of contagion.
• Coughing attacks, difficulty breathing and rooster crowing
Whooping cough is a respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. Après la contamination, la période d’incubation, c’est-à-dire le délai avant l’apparition des premiers symptômes, est “d’environ dix jours”, mais elle peut s’étendre de sept jours à three weeks, selon Health insurance.
This incubation period is followed by the appearance of the first symptoms: a runny nose, which may be associated with a slight fever. A week or two later, a moderate cough appears before turning into coughing fits.
Medical Insurance speaks of a cough characterized by “sudden, violent and repeated” attacks that can also cause “spasms” and make breathing difficult. These attacks may also include a “swollen, red, or bluish” face, an “explosion of small vessels around the eyes,” and vomiting.
After a coughing attack, the patient resumes breathing with a long, wide inhalation that is accompanied by a high-pitched sound, called “rooster crowing,” hence the name of the disease whooping cough, followed by “clear, sputum.” thick”.
“It’s a cough I’ve never heard before,” Elodie Jelena, an editor and author who contracted the disease, tells our channel. “My eldest (daughter) was coughing up phlegm and vomiting, her little sister followed her, there was a kind of whistling noise especially at night.”
In fact, these coughing attacks are more frequent at night. Furthermore, they are not accompanied by fever and no symptoms appear between each one. Uterine contractions are also sometimes seen in pregnant women affected by the disease.
Without treatment, this cough can get worse and last four to six weeks before returning. The Health Insurance also specifies that in certain adults the cough is not accompanied by the signs described above and considers that whooping cough should therefore be considered as soon as the cough lasts more than a week and tends to get worse.
• An airborne illness that can be serious.
Described as “highly contagious”, this disease is transmitted through the air, through droplets that come from the nose and mouth of a sick person.
“It is estimated that a sick person can contaminate an average of 15 to 17 people,” warns Health Insurance.
It is during the first week of cough when the patient’s contagion is most important.
Whooping cough can be serious in pregnant women, the elderly, or immunocompromised people, or in babies, who may present with malignant whooping cough with respiratory distress and deterioration of one or more organs.
• Mandatory vaccination in infants
To limit the transmission of this disease, vaccination has been mandatory in France since 2018 for babies, with a first injection at two months and then at four months. Then several reinforcements are planned at 11 months, 6 years, 11 years and 25 years.
This vaccine is also recommended for pregnant women and healthcare professionals and those who work with children.
Health insurance also specifies that it is possible to get whooping cough several times in your life. Contracting it provides immune protection, but the latter weakens over time. That is why it is recommended to get vaccinated and receive boosters.
• See a doctor if you experience symptoms.
If you have been in contact with a sick person but your vaccination is up to date and you do not have symptoms, you can continue attending work or school.
However, if you or your child develop symptoms or if your vaccination is not up to date, it is advisable to see a doctor as soon as possible. It is even recommended to go to the emergency room if a baby under three months coughs, has blue fingertips and around the mouth during coughing attacks, or has difficulty breathing.
• Antibiotic treatment for the patient and those around him.
Once whooping cough is diagnosed, the patient is prescribed antibiotics as soon as possible. And until these measures come into effect, you are asked to isolate yourself for three to five days and avoid any contact with babies and under-vaccinated people.
This treatment is also prescribed to the patient’s relatives who are in direct contact with him, in particular to those who are not up to date on vaccinations, unvaccinated infants and their parents, as well as pregnant women.
During the treatment period, it is advisable to notify your employer and your child’s school so that preventive measures can be implemented.
• Humidify the air and drink regularly
In addition to antibiotics, to promote the evacuation of mucus, it is recommended to humidify the air in the house and limit the temperature to 19 or 20°C. Quitting smoking and exposing your child to smoking is also a way to prevent the cough from getting worse. In case of vomiting, it is recommended to drink and eat regularly in small quantities to avoid dehydration and malnutrition.
“Before and after feeding your child, keep him in an upright position: this reduces regurgitation and vomiting. This position will also help you breathe better,” Ameli’s website adds.
On the contrary, antitussive and anticoagulant medications should be avoided, which are “ineffective and can be dangerous.”
Source: BFM TV
