Victoria Levterova: Private laboratories also conduct tests for whooping cough

“There is a risk of disease in children before vaccination – in 5-year-olds, in 11-year-olds,” explained the microbiologist

“Private laboratories are already conducting research on whooping cough. The PCR test gives a definite result, but with the ELISA method there may be a false result”. This was stated by Prof. Viktoria Levterova – head of the National Reference Laboratory for Molecular Microbiology in the program “The Day Live” on NOVA NEWS.

She explained that if a person has no symptoms and has not been exposed, they may not know they have whooping cough. When examining a whole class, carriers of the disease may appear. If the children are in close contact, quite a few of them would become infected. In such a case, they switch to online training.

Prof. Kantarjiev on whooping cough: People, vaccinate your children!

“Without research, it cannot be proven that this is whooping cough,” explained Prof. Levterova. The symptoms of this disease are a cough for more than a week, many of the patients also have allergies.

“There is a risk of disease in children before vaccination – in 5-year-olds, 11-year-olds. It also happens that grandmothers are infected by their grandchildren. Babies without vaccination are at greatest risk. They must be kept and the old rule must be observed – for the first 40 days acquaintances should not come to look after the baby. If possible, outsiders who come into contact with the baby should wear masks”, recommended Prof. Viktoria Levterova. According to her, for the two deaths in Kyustendil, it is most likely that the parents did not observe the limit of contacts for the babies. There are over 300 cases of whooping cough across the country.

One of the babies who fell victim to whooping cough was admitted to the hospital with signs of sepsis

Quite a few bacterial infections were brought into Europe with this wave of refugees, the microbiologist explained. “Europe as a whole is vaccinated against whooping cough and many other diseases, but people have come in who are not vaccinated. We have to keep one thing in mind and be a little more cautious. Let’s not neglect vaccinations”, recommended Victoria Levterova.

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