Whooping Cough, Pertussis
Pertussis is also known as whooping cough because of the sound a person makes when they have the disease. It is a very contagious disease caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis and can cause serious illness for adults, children, and especially infants.
The disease starts like the common cold, with runny nose or congestion, sneezing, and maybe mild cough or fever. Then after 1 to 2 weeks, severe coughing begins. Children with the disease cough violently and rapidly, over and over, until the air is gone from their lungs and they are forced to inhale with a loud 'whooping' sound. Persons with this disease are commonly hospitalized. Some may get pneumonia and others may have convulsions. A severe complication of the disease is a brain disorder called encephalopathy. In rare cases pertussis can cause death.
People with pertussis usually spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria. Since it is more common that younger children have more severe symptoms, many infants who get pertussis are infected by older siblings or parents who might not even know they have the disease.