The following links are in English Pertussis Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is caused by infection with the Bordetella pertussis bacteria. The infection can affect all. Prior to immunization pertussis was confined mostly to infants and young children.
Pertussis causes long spasms of coughing that can bring up plugs of thick mucus.
Whooping cough gets its name from the whooping sound the child makes when trying to draw breath after a coughing spell. Symptoms generally include those of a cold, such as runny nose and a cough that gradually worsens. Violent coughing spells frequently end with vomiting. Once the whooping stage begins, antibiotics are of no use. Copyright 2000 KinderStart.