关键词： 百日咳 英国
2012年12月24日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --根据卫生组织的报告，在11月份里，英格兰和威尔士地区的百日咳发病率仍然较高。根据统计在11月份共有1080起确诊病例，相对于十月份的1631起，略有下降。但这种好转可能更多地是因为季节因素。
百日咳是一种细菌性传染病，主要通过空气传播。婴幼儿有较高可能得这种疾病，并有致死可能性。从2004年起开始，为了保护新生儿，一般孕妇要接种一种名为Repevax的百日咳疫苗。
今年这次百日咳的爆发已经席卷了英国全境，专家称原因主要在于疫苗的免疫作用减弱。
今年，类似的百日咳疫情在美国同样出现。（生物谷Bioon.com）
详细英文报道：
Cases of whooping cough in England and Wales have remained high through November, says the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
New figures released by the agency on Friday show 1,080 confirmed cases for November, down from October's 1,631, bringing the total so far for 2012 to 8,819, the highest for any year since the 1990s. No deaths were reported for November, says the agency, who at the end of October said 13 infants had died in the current outbreak which began in the middle of 2011.
Although the slight fall in cases from October to November is the first downturn in the current outbreak, it does not necessarily mean it is coming to an end, as Gayatri Amirthalingam, HPA's consultant epidemiologist for immunisation, explains:
"The November figures show a welcome decrease of whooping cough cases since October. However, it is very important to note that we usually see a reduction in cases of whooping cough at this time of year so this decrease is in line with normal seasonal patterns."
Whooping Cough
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. The illness can last for three months.
The first signs of infection are usually a dry and irritating cough. This progresses to intense bouts of coughing followed by a "whooping" noise, which is how the illness got its name.
Other symptoms include raised temperature, runny nose, and vomiting after coughing.
Although whooping cough affects all ages, young babies are most at risk. Until they complete their vaccination around four months old, they are the ones most likely to have severe complications that can lead to death.
Older children and adults who get whooping cough usually get mild, unpleasant symptoms that rarely lead to complications.
Nevertheless, whooping cough is highly infectious. When infected people cough, they shed bacteria that can then be inhaled by others.
Vaccination for Pregnant Women
In order to protect newborn babies, who do not start receiving the whooping cough vaccine until they are two months old, the Department of Health is offering pregnant women the whooping cough vaccination. They announced this at the end of September.
The vaccine being offered to pregnant women is called Repevax, which has been used to immunize children in the UK since 2004.
The aim of the campaign is to boost the short term immunity mothers pass on to their babies while they are still in the womb.
Although it is too early to see if this is having an effect on the current figures, the Department of Health recently reported a take up rate of around 40% in pregnant women.
While encouraged by the take up rate, Amirthalingam urges:
"We would like to remind pregnant women how serious this infection can be in young babies and how it can in some cases cause death. Vaccination between 28 and 38 weeks of pregnancy should offer babies the best protection against whooping cough before they receive their own vaccines."
