Medical expert of the article
New publications
Paracoccus pertussis in children
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Parakoklyush is an acute infectious disease, similar in clinical picture to whooping cough in a mild form.
Epidemiology of parapertussis
The incidence of parakoklyush is lower than that of whooping cough. Parakoklyush is characterized by a periodicity that does not correlate with whooping cough.
The disease parakoklyush is observed at any age, but more often in children aged 3-6 years, both those vaccinated against whooping cough and those who have had it fall ill. The incidence of parakoklyush in children under 1 year of age, in contrast to whooping cough, is low.
What causes parapertussis?
The causative agent of parapertussis - (Bordetella parapertussis) is similar in properties to the whooping cough bacillus. In laboratory conditions, it is differentiated using specific agglutinating serums.
Symptoms of parawhooping cough
The incubation period of parakoklyush is 4-14 days. The disease parakoklyush begins with mild catarrhal symptoms. The general condition of the patient is usually slightly disturbed: body temperature, as a rule, is not elevated. The main symptom of parakoklyush is a cough. Depending on the characteristics of the cough, a whooping cough-like and erased form are distinguished.
- In the pertussis-like form of parakoklyush, after a short prodromal period of 5-7 days, a paroxysmal cough appears, which is accompanied by facial hyperemia, reprises and sometimes ends in vomiting. However, coughing fits occur less frequently and are shorter than in pertussis.
- In the latent form, the cough is tracheal or tracheobronchial. The diagnosis of parakoklyush in such patients is established only after bacteriological confirmation.
Read also:
- Whooping cough. Antibodies to Bordetella pertussis in blood serum
- What causes whooping cough?
- Symptoms of whooping cough
- Diagnosis of whooping cough
- Treatment of whooping cough
- How to prevent whooping cough?
Radiographically, widening of the root shadow, increased vascular pattern, and, less commonly, compaction of the peribronchial tissue are revealed.
In the peripheral blood of some patients, moderate leukocytosis and short-term lymphocytosis are detected.
Diagnosis of parawhooping cough
Serological reactions should be performed with two diagnostics - pertussis and parapertussis, since there is partial cross-immunity between pertussis and parapertussis.
What tests are needed?
Treatment of parakoklyush
Treatment of parapertussis is symptomatic.
Prevention of parapertussis
Patients with parakoklyush are isolated for 25 days (from the onset of the disease only from children's groups for children aged 1 year and children's departments of hospitals. Carriers of the parakoklyush pathogen from these groups are isolated until two negative results of bacteriological testing are obtained.
Specific prophylaxis for parapertussis is not used.
Использованная литература