What is Pertussis (Whooping Cough)?

This page was reviewed or revised on Thursday, August 13, 2009.

Pertussis (whooping cough) is an infection caused by a bacteria.

The infection usually begins with a runny nose and a cough. Soon, the cough may end in gagging, vomiting or trouble breathing. Sometimes after a coughing attack, the child may give a loud "whoop" when breathing in, which is why the infection has been called "whooping cough". The "whooping" symptom does not always occur.

It takes a long time for children to get over pertussis. They are usually sick for 6 to 10 weeks. The disease is most severe in infants younger than one year of age. Many of these infants become so sick that they have to be cared for in hospital.

Pertussis spreads very easily from person to person in the same household or day nursery.

The germs are spread through the air when a person coughs. People with pertussis can spread germs from the time they have the first symptoms (runny nose then cough) until three weeks after the coughing attack starts. This infectious period can be reduced to five days with antibiotic treatment.

It will take 7-14 days to come down with pertussis after coming in contact with someone who has it.

Pertussis can be prevented with a vaccine called DPTP.  All children should be vaccinated. The vaccine will prevent disease in about 60-80% of children and reduce the severity in others.

Adults can also get pertussis. An adult may not develop as severe a disease as children, but can still spread the infection to children and other adults.

What can I do to help?

• Check your child's immunization record to see if his/her DPTP is up to date. This vaccine is given at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months and then again between the ages of 4 and 6.
• Inadequately immunized household contacts of a positive case less than seven years old should be excluded from school, daycare or gatherings for 14 days after the last exposure OR until the case and contacts have received 5 days of antibiotics.
• Know the signs of pertussis. If a case is identified in your child's day nursery or school, watch your child for symptoms. If your child develops the symptoms, take him/her to the doctor right away to be checked.
• If your child has pertussis, he/she should not return to day nursery or school until the antibiotic has been taken for 5 days of the 10 day course. If no treatment is taken, your child must be excluded for three weeks.
• Adults also get pertussis. If an adult has had a persistent, continuous cough for longer that 1-2 weeks he/she should be checked by a doctor. It may be pertussis. Antibiotics can be taken to help stop the spread of the infection.
• If a child or adult has pertussis, ALL household contacts will need to start on a 10-day course of antibiotics. This may help to stop others from developing the disease or make the disease less severe and will ensure that these people do not spread the infection to others.
• In day nurseries, child and adult contacts will need to start on a 10 day course of antibiotics.  This may help to stop the contact from developing the disease or make the disease less severe and will ensure that the contact does not spread the infection to others.
• In day nurseries, child and adult contacts will need to take the antibiotics for ten days.  If no antibiotic is taken, then the contact should be excluded until it is reasonably certain that he/she does not have pertussis (about two weeks) and will not reintroduce the infection.

Reprinted with permission from the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit