Pertussis: Signs and Symptoms

Pertussis, or Whooping cough, is an infection of the respiratory system. Pertussis is caused by bacteria called Bordetella pertussis and is most commonly known by its severe coughing spells. These coughing spells typically end with a "whooping" sound when the person breathes in, hence the name "Whooping cough." Because of the vaccine for pertussis, less than 30 deaths a year in the U.S. occur. Before the vaccine, 5,000-10,000 people a year would die of pertussis.

Pertussis mainly infects infants younger than 6 months old as they are not adequately protected by the immunization for pertussis and kids aged 11-18 due to a faded immunity to the vaccine.

The first symptoms of pertussis are the same as those of the common cold, so it can be deceiving at first. With pertussis, you will first see a runny nose, sneezing, mild cough and a low-grade fever. After 1-2 weeks of these symptoms, the mild cough turns into coughing spells. During these coughing spells, which can last for more than a minute, the child may turn red or even purple. At the end of the coughing spell, the child will typically make the characteristic whooping sound when they breathe in or may even vomit from the severity of the coughing spell. Keep in mind that not all children will make the characteristic whooping sound and some will have trouble breathing. The child usually will feel well between spells.

Pertussis is highly contagious. Tiny drops of fluid from an infected persons nose or mouth, if not properly covered or contained, can become airborne when they sneeze, cough or laugh. When others inhale these drops or touch their mouth or nose after coming in contact with these drops, they can become infected.

People with pertussis are most contagious at the beginning stages of the illness and up to 2 weeks after the coughing begins. When on antibiotics, the period of contagiousness is shortened by about 5 days.

It is very important for anyone with pertussis to begin antibiotics immediately as it is so very highly contagious. It is believed that 80% of people who live in close contact with someone with pertussis will contract it and for this reason, it's important for them, as well as the infected person, to begin antibiotics.

The time between infection and the onset of symptoms for pertussis is usually 7 to 10 days, but can be as long as 3 weeks.

Pertussis can last a long time. Those with pertussis can expect to see 1-2 weeks of cold symptoms, followed by 2-4 weeks of severe coughing, with coughing spells that can last longer. It will also take an additional 2-4 weeks to recover with a gradual resolution of symptoms. Some children can take months to recover from pertussis. Vaccinating your child for pertussis is one of the best things you can do for him or her.

The treatment for pertussis is antibiotics. Make sure to follow the schedule for giving the antibiotics exactly. Cough medicine will not help the cough of pertussis.

Staying in bed resting and using a cool-mist vaporizer can help loosen the respiratory secretions and sooth the irritated lungs and breathing passages. The home should be kept free of smoke, both cooking and cigarette, aerosol sprays, fireplaces smoke and wood-burning stoves as these can further irritate the lungs.

It's common for children with pertussis to vomit and to not eat or drink much due to the frequency of the coughing. It is important to offer small and frequent meals and to encourage drinking lots of fluids to combat dehydration. If any signs of dehydration do occur, such as thirst, irritability, restlessness, lethargy, sunken eyes, dry mouth and tongue, crying without tears, dry skin and fewer trips to the restroom to urinate, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

Pertussis is an awful infection that can be easily prevented with a vaccine. It's important to seek medical attention at the first signs of pertussis in order to start treating immediately. It takes a long time to recover from pertussis, but you can make it easier by resting, taking medications exactly as prescribed and staying away from anything that irritates the lungs further.

Pertussis - CDC
Pertussis - Health Beat