Whooping Cough

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the airways. It causes violent bursts of coughing that can end in a distinctive "whoop" as the child tries to breathe in. It is particularly dangerous in babies under 1 year — who can have breathing pauses, pneumonia, seizures and even death. Vaccination prevents it.

Symptoms — evolve over weeks

• Weeks 1-2 — cold-like: runny nose, mild cough, low-grade fever.
• Weeks 2-6 — severe coughing fits, often with vomiting, exhaustion, and a "whoop" at the end of a fit. In babies, apnoea (stopping breathing) or blueness may occur without a typical cough.
• Weeks 6+ — slow recovery; cough lingers ("100-day cough").
• Adults and older children — may have a persistent cough without the whoop, still infectious — often the hidden source for an infant.

Red flags — hospital

• Baby under 6 months with suspected whooping cough — hospital.
• Blueness during coughing fits.
• Apnoea — pauses in breathing.
• Vomiting after coughing with poor feeding.
• Dehydration, lethargy, seizures.
• Breathing difficulty between coughing fits.

Diagnosis and treatment

• PCR / culture of a nasal swab; clinical diagnosis is often enough in epidemic settings.
• Antibiotics (macrolide-class) — reduce infectivity; most effective if started early.
• Supportive care — hydration, small frequent meals, rest, isolation.
• Contacts — antibiotic prophylaxis for high-risk household contacts; catch up vaccines.
• Isolate for 5 days of effective antibiotic treatment (or 3 weeks without treatment) to reduce spread.

Prevention

• Pentavalent / DPT under UIP — doses at 6, 10, 14 weeks; boosters at 16-24 months and 5-6 years. Free at government centres.
• Tdap in pregnancy — in selected Indian settings, given in the third trimester to protect the newborn until their own vaccines start; ask your obstetrician.
• Tdap for adults and adolescents who will be around a new baby (cocooning strategy) — privately available.
• Catch-up vaccine if doses missed — age-adapted schedule.
• Immunity fades — booster every 10 years (as Td) into adulthood helps keep community protection up.