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Management of Healthcare Workers Exposed to Pertussis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

William A. Rutala
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, the Department of Hospital Epidemiology and the Department of Employee Health, UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
David J. Weber*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, the Department of Hospital Epidemiology and the Department of Employee Health, UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
*
547 Burnett-Womack, CB #7030, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7030

Abstract

The epidemiology of pertussis has changed in recent years. First, pertussis in adults is far more common than previously thought. Second, in many instances, the disease in adults is atypical or asymptomatic. Third, adult pertussis occurs despite a prior history of full immunization and, indeed, in persons with a prior history of natural disease.

Large outbreaks of pertussis have occurred in healthcare facilities through failure to recognize and isolate infected infants and children, failure to recognize and treat disease in staff members, and failure to institute control measures rapidly. Appropriate use of work restriction and erythromycin prophylaxis may decrease the likelihood of institutional outbreaks

Type
Topics in Occupational Medicine
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1994

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