Transmission of Bordetella Pertussis to Young Infants - Essay Example

Transmission of Bordetella Pertussis to Young Infants Introduction The article, ‘Transmission of Bordetella Pertussis to Young Infants’ is an international, multi-centre research study that was jointly conducted by Wendelboe et al., in France, Germany, United State and Canada from February 2003 to October 2004 (Wendeloe et al., 2007). The study is highly relevant because despite widespread vaccination, the high incidence of the disease amongst the infants had nearly tripled from 34.2 cases per 100,000 in 1980 to 103.5 cases per 100,000 in 2003, in America. The scholars had adopted the prospective type of research study primarily to identify group of people, who might be associated with suspected risk factors for transmission to young infants. This type of epidemiological study was appropriate for Bordetella Pertussis because the group could be tracked down for a long period of time to ascertain the probable risk factors for effective remedial measures. Problem Statement Identification of the factors for the transmission of Bordetella Pertussis to young infants was the most important aspect of the study. The study was designed to find the culpable root cause for the transmission by studying a group of people that have the best chance of infecting the infants. Purpose of the article Bordetella Pertussis is one of the most dreaded diseases amongst the infants that often prove fatal. While the industrialized nations have been able to considerably reduce the notified cases but the increasing need to vaccinate the adults and young adults has remained of paramount importance primarily because they could be carrying the virus. The article gives valuable insight into the probable sources and focuses on identifying them so that young infants can be protected against the infection. Hypothesis The research has followed the null hypothesis That parents, relatives, siblings and care-takers, who are often in close contact with the young infants, could be the major sources of carrying Bordetella Pertussis that could be transmitted. Vaccination of adults can significantly reduce the incidence of Bordetella Pertussis amongst the young infants. Research design and methodology adopted The international research was conducted in 12 hospitals spread across France (4 hospitals), Germany (4 hospitals), United States(3 hospitals) and Canada(1 hospitals) with 95 laboratory confirmed identified Bordetella Pertussis cases for infants Read More