Whooping Cough Summary Whooping cough is an infectious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable coughing. The name comes from the noise you make when you take a breath after you cough. You may have choking spells or may cough so hard that you vomit. Anyone can get whooping cough, but it is more common in infants and children. It’s especially dangerous for infants. The coughing spells can be so bad that it is hard for infants to eat, drink, or breathe. To make a diagnosis, your doctor may do a physical exam, blood tests, chest x-rays, or nose or throat cultures. Before there was a vaccine, whooping cough was one of the most common childhood diseases and a major cause of childhood deaths in the U.S. Now most cases are prevented by vaccines. If you have whooping cough, treatment with antibiotics may help if given early. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Find an Expert Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Whooping Cough National Institutes of Health Statistics and Research FastStats: Whooping Cough or Pertussis National Center for Health Statistics Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Outbreaks Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Children Help Protect Babies from Whooping Cough Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Whooping Cough (Pertussis) – Fact Sheet for Parents Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Woes of Whooping Cough Nemours Foundation Prevention and Risk Factors MedlinePlus: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis Vaccines National Library of Medicine Videos and Tutorials One Family’s Struggles with Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases Array Pertussis Start Here Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pertussis Frequently Asked Questions Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Whooping Cough American Academy of Family Physicians Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Nemours Foundation Related Issues Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Complications Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travelers’ Health: Pertussis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Treatments and Therapies Pertussis Diagnosis & Treatment Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Symptoms Pertussis Signs & Symptoms Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Diagnosis and Tests Pertussis Tests American Association for Clinical Chemistry Images Photos of Pertussis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Women Preventing Pertussis (Whooping Cough) American College of Nurse-Midwives Journal Articles Whooping Cough Patient Handouts Whooping Cough also Known as Pertussis Array Teenagers Whooping Cough and the Pertussis Vaccine Children’s Hospital Boston Latest News Vaccine Refusal a Driving Force Behind Measles Outbreaks, Study Finds HealthDay Whooping Cough Shot Safe for Pregnant Women HealthDay
