The incubation period of pertussis is commonly 7–10 days, with a range of 4–21 days, and rarely may be as long as 42 days.
The whooping cough incubation period is the time between becoming infected with the bacteria that cause this illness (Bordetella pertussis) and developing symptoms. The incubation period is commonly 7 to 10 days, but it can range from 4 to 21 days and, in rare cases, may be as long as 42 days. Whooping Cough Disease. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious infection. A person is most likely to transmit the bacteria that cause this illness when he or she is experiencing symptoms, especially during the first three weeks of symptoms. Until recently it was thought that B. pertussis did not invade the tissues. However, recent studies have shown the bacteria to be present in alveolar macrophages. Clinical Features The incubation period of pertussis is commonly 7–10 days, with a range of 4–21 days, and rarely may be as long as 42 days. The clinical course of the illness is divided into three stages. Communicability Pertussis is highly communicable, as evidenced by secondary attack rates of 80% among susceptible household contacts. Persons with pertussis are most infectious during the catarrhal period and the first 2 weeks after cough onset (i.e., approximately 21 days). A person with whooping cough is contagious as long as they have symptoms; however, infected people are more likely to transmit the bacteria that cause the illness during the first three weeks of symptoms. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious infection. A person is most likely to transmit the bacteria that cause this illness when he or she is experiencing symptoms, especially Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease involving the respiratory tract. It is caused by a bacterium, Bordetella pertussis, which is found in the mouth, nose and throat of an infected person. Pertussis starts as a mild, upper respiratory infection (a cold) - including sneezing, runny nose, fever and occasional cough. Within 10-14 days, the cough becomes more severe. Thick sputum may be present. These symptoms may persist for one to two months, occurring frequently at night. Espanol: Español signos y. Sintomas (síntomas pertussis) whooping cough can cause serious illness, in, babies, children teens. And adults symptoms of pertussis usually develop within 5 to 10 days after, being exposed but sometimes not for as long as. 3 weeks  Young kids who have not received all five doses of the vaccine may need a booster dose if exposed to an infected family member. Incubation The incubation period (the time between infection and the start of symptoms) for whooping cough is usually 7 to 10 days, but can be as long as 21 days. Duration. Pertussis usually causes prolonged symptoms — 1 to 2 weeks of common cold symptoms, followed by up to 3 months of severe coughing. The last stage consists of another few weeks of recovery with gradual clearing of symptoms. In some children, the recovery period can last for months. Nonetheless, before producing any signs and symptoms, pertussis will usually have an incubation period that lasts from 7 to 10 days but can end as early as 4 days or as long as 21 days. Signs and Symptoms of Pertussis. The signs and symptoms of pertussis or whooping cough are rather similar with that of a common cold. Initially, pertussis will produce common symptoms of an upper respiratory infection such as mild cough, sneezing, rhinorhea or runny nose and low grade fever. Pertussis 261 16 Pertussis, or whooping cough, is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Outbreaks of pertussis were first described in the 16th century, and the organism was first isolated in 1906. Communicability Pertussis is highly communicable, as evidenced by secondary attack rates of 80% among susceptible household contacts. Persons with pertussis are most infectious during the catarrhal period and the first 2 weeks after cough onset (i.e., approximately 21 days). When a person is infected with B. pertussis, bacteria multiply within the body. The period between the time of infection and when symptoms of whooping cough appear is called the incubation period. The whooping cough incubation period is commonly 7 to 10 days, with a general range of 4 to 21 days; rarely, the incubation period may be as long as 42 days. Once whooping cough symptoms begin, there are generally three stages of the illness. 
http://diseases.emedtv.com/whooping-cough/contagious-period-for-whooping-cough.html http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/pert.pdf http://diseases.emedtv.com/whooping-cough/contagious-period-for-whooping-cough.html http://mckinley.illinois.edu/Handouts/pertussis_whooping_cough.html http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/signs-symptoms.html http://www.seattlechildrens.org/Kids-Health/Parents/Infections/Bacterial-and-Viral-Infections/Whooping-Cough-(Pertussis)/ http://www.healthforworld.com/what-is-the-pertussis-incubation-period/ http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/pert.pdf http://diseases.emedtv.com/whooping-cough/whooping-cough-symptoms.html
incubation period for pertussis