Pertussis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pertussis - Essay Example Since the disease is contagious, it mainly spreads though air pollution. As the immunity system of the infants and children below 10 years of age is not as strong as that of the adults, the vulnerability of the former to the disease is more as compared to the latter. Besides, children and particularly infants are much less careful about the quality of food they eat, and need strict parental supervision and guidance to eat hygienic food. As infants crawl, their hands come in contact with the floor which is one of the ways they acquire the bacterial infection. In addition to that, infants tend to pick up anything they find lying on the floor and put it in the mouth. It is not out of the ordinary for an infant to pick up a contaminated thing like the left-over seed of a fruit lying on the floor, and take it to the mouth. Children play out-door very carelessly. They frequently fall on the ground while running and playing, and get their hands and bodies stacked with mud. â€Å"Family mem bers are responsible for more than three quarters of pertussis cases transmitted to infants, according to a new report† (One India News, 2007). Children’s lack of concern about the health and safety of the way they live and the food they eat are the prime factors that increase their vulnerability to Pertussis. There are certain cultures in which children are provided with more care and supervision as compared to other cultures. Factors that play a role in this include but are not limited to the general awareness about healthy living in the people, education of the parents, the economic strength of the country, and the level of cleanliness generally maintained in the homes and out-doors. Generally, advanced countries provide the children with an environment that is healthier and safer as compared to the environment children get in the underdeveloped and developing countries. The population of infants and children selected from the