Infant died of whooping cough, Treviso area

A 24-day-old infant succumbed to an aggressive form of whooping cough in Montebelluna (province of Treviso). After a normal birth, the infant and mother were discharged from the hospital. However, the infant’s condition subsequently deteriorated, necessitating readmission and ultimately resulting in the infant’s demise, as reported by press sources. Pertussis, also referred to as canine whooping cough, is an acute, contagious infectious disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and affects the respiratory tract and lungs. The disease predominantly affects children under the age of five. Beyond the specifics of this particular case, Dr. Giovanni Di Perri, director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic at the University of Turin, strongly recommended the whooping cough vaccination for pregnant women, to enable the transfer of protective antibodies to the developing fetus during the critical first six months of life. Recent estimates indicate that the vaccine is 90% effective in preventing severe forms of the disease and 14% effective in preventing other forms. In newborns, the protection conferred by maternal vaccination during pregnancy exceeds 90%.