Comparative Analysis of Pertussis, Diphtheria, and HIB Infection

Running head: INFECTIOUS DISEASE
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
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Pertussis, Diphtheria, and HIB
Introduction
Pertussis, Diphtheria, and HIB are the three most common form of infectious airborne
diseases that occurs mostly in the babies, who have not been immunized at the time of their birth.
The vaccination for these three infectious diseases are combined to given vaccination.
This paper will bring about a comparative analysis Pertussis, Diphtheria, and HIB
infection. In order to do this, the following areas needs to be explored – the etiology and the
morphology of the causative agent, followed by epidemiology and incidence of the disease. This
scientific report will also give an analysis of the pathophysiology of the disease, along with the
clinical manifestation produced by each of the disease and how each is distinct from the other.
Aetiology, morphology
Diphtheria is an infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract hat is caused by the
bacterial microorganism known as Corynebacterium diphtheria,which is a gram positive
bacteria Pertussis is also a respiratory disease that is also known as whooping cough. Pertussis is
mainly caused in the infants and babies (Burkovski, 2016). The infection is mainly caused due to
the exotoxins produced by the strains of Corynebacterium diptheraie (Barroso & Pegram, 2016).
Tissue necrosis and a pseudo membrane is formed over the tonsils and the mucosa of the
pharynx, larynx and the nose. The lesions in the skin is often covered by the help of the
psuedomembrane that is composed of fibrin, inflammatory cells and the bacteria. The diphtheria
toxin causes ribosylation of the elongation factor and inhibits protein synthesis in the eukaryotic
cells (Burkovski, 2016). Pertussis on the other hand was caused by a gram negative bacteria
known as Bordetella pertussis and the Pertussis toxin is a protein based AB5 of exotoxin that

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causes dramatic changes in the transcriptional repertoire of the host (Connelly, Sun &
Carbonetti, 2015). Diphtheria usually affects the throat and the nose, whereas whooping cough
causes uncontrollable coughing. Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) disease on the other hand is
a serious condition that is caused by a bacteria. The bacteria colonize in the nasopharynx and can
remain transient for several months in the absence of the symptoms. Meningitis infection is the
most common clinical manifestation of the invasive Hib diseases (Yeh & Torchia, 2018).
• Epidemiology, incidence, prevalence
Whooping cough is a nationally notifiable disease in Australia and about 20,186 number
of cases has been diagnosed in Australia in the year 2018. About 1 in 33 were infants under 12
months. Despite an established vaccination program, whooping cough is still common in
Australia, with outbreak every year. The rate of this children is higher. A recent case was in
newspaper where a Sydney school principal failed to report the cases of whooping cough to the
authorities. In the year 2018, 440 hospital admissions due to pertussis has been noted and the
death rate is higher among the infants. In contrast to the prevalence of pertussis, Diphtheria is
rare in Australia. Almost not reported case of diphtheria can be found since the year 1992
(Australian government, Department of health, 2017). 23 notified cases of Diphtheria was
notified in the year 1991, but recently, no such cases has been reported. Like Australia, with long
standing immunisation programs, the incidence of Diphtheria is rare in many European countries
like United States and United Kingdom (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017). A
case of respiratory Diphtheria was notified in New Zealand in the year 1998, which indicated
that the reservoirs of toxigenic C. diphtheriae still exists. The disease in could easily re-emerged
in Australia is the immunisation is not done. Most recent cases has been found in United

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Kingdom, USA and the counties bordering the Newly independent states (NIS) (Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017).
Haemophilus influenza b is also a notifiable diseases like Diphtheria and whooping
cough, but it is not as frequent as pertussis. In the year 2018, 17 notifiable cases of Hib in
Australia has been notified (Yeh & Torchia, 2018). The percentage of Hib has been found to be
higher in the indigenous adults. Between 1994 and 2016, almost 504 cases of Hib meningitis has
been noticed in Australia. Deaths due to meningitis in Australia have become quite rare.
• Clinical presentation
The main hall mark of Hib infection is meningitis, which is the infection in the membrane
covering of the brain. The clinical manifestation of the Hib disease accounts for only 50-65 % of
the cases in the pre-vaccine era. Other infections might occur in the epiglottis, causing infection
and swelling of the epiglottis (Barroso & Pegram, 2016). Epiglottis can cause life threatening
obstruction in the airways. Septic arthritis is infection in the joints and another is cellulitis, which
is a rapidly progressing skin infection. However, Diphtheria is manifested by a sore throat and
hoarseness, swollen glands in the neck, with difficulty in breathing, nasal discharge, malaise,
fever and chills (Annamalai, 2016). Diphtheria can also affect skin causing pain, redness and
swelling associated with the bacterial infection. Breathing trouble is also noticed in pertussis
infection, but the traditional symptoms might include rapid coughs followed by a “whoop sound’
of high the pitch often causing throwing up. Fatigue is common due to tiring cough. Coughing
occurs more at night (Lauria & Zabbo, 2018).
• Natural history (200)