SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS OF PERTUSSIS IN ADULTS

There is increasing evidence that pertussis occurs frequently in adult s, but there is limited information on the clinical course of this dis ease beyond childhood. A household contact study on the efficacy of an acellular pertussis vaccine was used to study the symptoms of pertuss is in adults. Among 257 patients with pertussis identified in greater than or equal to 21 families during a two-year period in one study cen ter with a low whole-cell pertussis-vaccine uptake, 79 (30.7%) were ad ults, aged 19-83 years (mean age: 36 years) with a 1:1.8 male to femal e ratio. Ninety-one percent of the adults suffered from coughing (mean duration: 54 days), and in 80% this cough lasted 121 days, Whoops wer e rare (8%), whereas cough followed by vomiting and/or choking (53%) a nd cough disturbing sleep (52%) were common. This is the first report to describe sweating attacks as symptom of pertussis (14%). Pharyngeal symptoms (37%), influenza-like symptoms (30%), sneezing attacks (22%) , hoarseness (18%), sinus pain (16%) and headaches (14%) were also obs erved. Various complications were seen in 23% of the patients, In orde r to minimize the spread of the organism, microbiological diagnostics should be vigorously applied to all symptomatic contacts of a patient with pertussis but also to all patients with long lasting cough - irre spective of age.