Whooping cough The primary method of prevention for pertussis is vaccination. Evidence is insufficient to determine the effectiveness of antibiotics in those who have been exposed, but are without symptoms. Preventive antibiotics, however, are still frequently used in those who have been exposed and are at high risk of severe disease (such as infants). Pertussis vaccines are effective at preventing illness and are recommended for routine use by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine saved an estimated half a million lives in 2002. The multicomponent acellular pertussis vaccine is 71–85% effective, with greater effectiveness
Riggs' disease Riggs' disease Riggs' disease, also known as pyorrhea of a toothsocket or gingivitis expulsiva, is a historical term for periodontitis (gum disease), The condition was described as a purulent inflammation of the dental periosteum. It was named after American dentist John Mankey Riggs (1811–1885). Riggs' disease was said to produce the progressive necrosis of the alveoli and looseness of the teeth. The teeth may become very loose and fall out of the sockets. Mark Twain wrote briefly about Riggs' disease in his short essay, "Happy Memories of the Dental Chair", in which he claims to have been examined by Dr.