Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is an acute respiratory tract infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. After an incubation period of 9 to 10 days, the clinical symptoms of the disease start with a catarrhal phase followed by paroxysmal cough and ending with persistent cough and whooping. The cough and whooping are characteristic of the diseases and make the clinical diagnosis easy to establish

The disease is transmitted from person to person following the inhalation of infected droplets. Pertussis affects mainly infants and young children.

The treatment of pertussis aims to eliminate the pertussis bacterium and consists of administration of antibiotics as early as possible. In addition, skilled nursing and feeding can reduce morbidity and mortality. Early detection and adequate treatment prevents the spread of the infection to other children.