Pertussis is spread easily from person to person.
People get pertussis by breathing in airborne droplets expelled from the nose or throat of an infected person. Despite an effective vaccine, pertussis continues to cause serious illness and death. Young children are most at risk for pertussis, but the disease is increasing in adolescents and adults. Pertussis is a very contagious disease of the mucous membranes that line the air passages. It is also called whooping cough.