- Knowledgebase: Information on Specific Illnesses
- Here you will find discussions of specific illnesses and their management.
- 2. What is Whooping Cough? - Top
- Whooping cough is a bacterial infection caused by Bordetella Pertussis.
In bigger children and adults it is usually a harmless infection with a nasty cough. However in babies it can cause apnea (breath holding) and can be fatal.
All children are supposed to be routinely immunized against this infection. However the protection wears off in the teen years. For this reason, boosters have begun to teens and adults when the get a Tetanus shot.
The infection causes a serious cough "paroxysm" where the patient coughs repeatedly until out of air and then he breathes in dramatically making the "whooping" sound.
It is treatable with antibiotics. - Updated: June 4, 2010
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