Whooping cough

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It can cause prolonged coughing fits, sometimes followed by a high-pitched intake of breath called a whoop.

Bordetella pertussis: A bacterium that infects the respiratory tract and causes whooping cough. This is the pathogen responsible for the infection.
Pertussis vaccination: Immunization intended to prevent whooping cough or reduce its severity. Vaccination is the main public-health tool for reducing disease and spread.
Catarrhal stage: The early stage of whooping cough, marked by mild cold-like symptoms. This contagious phase often resembles an ordinary respiratory infection.
Jules Bordet: A Belgian physician and microbiologist who identified the bacterium responsible for whooping cough with Octave Gengou. His laboratory work established the bacterial cause of the disease.
Pertussis epidemiology: The study of whooping cough’s distribution, transmission, and patterns across populations. Recurring outbreaks show how infection circulates even where vaccination is common.
Pertussis toxin: A toxin produced by Bordetella pertussis that disrupts signaling in host cells. It contributes to disease by altering immune and cellular responses.
Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine: A combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. This vaccine is routinely used for childhood immunization and boosters.
Paroxysmal stage: The stage of whooping cough characterized by recurrent, intense coughing fits. The classic attacks and possible whoop emerge during this stage.
Octave Gengou: A Belgian bacteriologist who collaborated with Jules Bordet on identifying Bordetella pertussis. The Bordet–Gengou collaboration connected the disease to its pathogen.
Herd immunity: Indirect protection that arises when enough people in a population are immune to an infection. High community immunity reduces opportunities for pertussis to spread.

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