Whooping
Cough
Whooping Cough Basics
Whooping cough is an infection of the respiratory
system caused by certain types of bacteria, notably the
bordetella pertussis, which is a Gram-negative, aerobic
coccobacillus of the genus Bordetella.
It's called "whooping cough" because the cough sufferer
emits a "whooping" sound at the end.
In developed countries, whooping cough is much less
prevalent than it used to be thanks to the development of an
effective pertussis vaccine. But once upon a time, whooping
cough resulted in 5,000 to 10,000 deaths every year.
Whooping cough is highly contagious among unvaccinated
populations.
Historically, whooping cough could be especially among young
children, but adult pertussis also caused thousands of death
worldwide before the vaccine was developed.
Whooping cough symptoms
The following symptoms usually appear with pertussis or
whooping cough.
- runny nose,
- sneezing,
- low-grade fever
- a mild cough that becomes a rough in 1-2
weeks, characterized by a “whooping” sound at the
end.
- nausea and vomiting
Some people will even turn blue in the face during a
coughing spell.
Whooping cough prevention
Vaccination is the best way to prevent whooping cough.
Of course, it's also important to avoid contact with anyone
who has whooping cough.
Proper diagnosis and quick treatment is important.
Now Available
Learn About Your
Lungs
A 54 page
electronic book
Click here
to see a Table of Contents
Click Here to Buy Now for
$3.97
This is an electronic book--it is not currently
available in paperback or
hardbound
|