Whooping cough (pertussis) in children

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goodtoknow says: Most children in the UK used to get whooping cough. But thanks to immunisation it's now quite rare. It is caused by a bacterial infection which affects the airways and leads to intense bouts of coughing with a distinctive 'whooping' sound. The cough can make your child sick and feel very unwell for several weeks. It's also highly contagious. Antibiotics help stop your child being infectious to anyone else, but don't shorten the symptoms very much. So keep away from others for at least five days. Immunisation is offered to babies at two, three and four months. It's 90 per cent effective.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of whooping cough from patient.co.uk, read on.

Whooping cough causes bouts of intense coughing. It can be a distressing illness which usually lasts several weeks. Full recovery is usual, but serious complications occur in some cases. Whooping cough is now uncommon in the UK, mainly due to immunisation.

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is an infection caused by a bacterium (bug) called Bordetella pertussis. This bacterium is spread in air drops by coughing, and by close contact with an affected person. The bacterium attaches to cells which line the airways, multiplies, and causes the symptoms.