Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It's known for severe coughing fits that can end with a "whooping" sound when breathing in. **2025 Alert - Increasing Cases:** Pertussis cases are at their highest levels in years. This is due to: - Waning vaccine immunity (protection decreases 5-10 years after vaccination) - More adults who haven't received boosters - Increased testing and awareness **The "100-Day Cough":** Whooping cough is sometimes called the "100-day cough" because the cough can persist for months. While it starts like a cold, it progresses to severe coughing spasms that can be exhausting and frightening. **Why it's called "whooping" cough:** During coughing fits, especially in children, the forceful gasp for air at the end makes a "whoop" sound. Adults and vaccinated individuals may not make this sound but still have severe coughing. **Most dangerous for infants:** Whooping cough can be life-threatening in infants under 12 months, who may develop apnea (stop breathing) rather than the characteristic whoop.

**How Pertussis Spreads:** 1. **Respiratory droplets** - Coughing, sneezing, or close contact 2. **Face-to-face contact** - Spending time near infected person 3. **Sharing breathing space** - Households, schools, close gatherings **Extremely contagious:** - Up to 90% of susceptible household contacts will become infected - Contagious from onset of runny nose through 3 weeks of coughing (if untreated) - Antibiotics reduce contagious period to 5 days **Why immunity wanes:** - Vaccine protection decreases over 5-10 years - Natural infection immunity also wanes - Adults need Tdap boosters every 10 years - Pregnant women should get Tdap each pregnancy **Three Stages of Pertussis:** 1. **Catarrhal stage (1-2 weeks):** Mild cold symptoms, most contagious 2. **Paroxysmal stage (1-6 weeks):** Severe coughing fits, vomiting 3. **Convalescent stage (weeks-months):** Gradual recovery, cough persists