Whooping Cough (Pertussis) in Adults  What is whooping cough
(pertussis)?  Whooping cough, or pertussis, is very contagious
and primarily affects infants and young children. Whooping
cough is caused by a bacterium called Bordetella pertussis. The
illness is characterized by paroxysms (intense spells) of
coughing that end with a characteristic "whoop" as air is
inhaled. Whooping cough caused thousands of deaths in the 1930s
and 1940s. With the advent of a vaccine, the death rate has
declined dramatically. Pertussis vaccines are very effective.
However, if pertussis is circulating in the community, there is
a possibility that even a fully vaccinated person could catch
the disease. Babies who are too young to receive the vaccine are
also at very high risk of catching pertussis. The illness can be
very serious, even sometimes fatal, in young infants. Many
babies infected with pertussis have caught it from an adult.
What are the symptoms of whooping cough?  The disease starts
like the common cold, with a runny no