In this Article

• What is whooping cough?
• Can whooping cough be prevented with a vaccine?
• What are the stages, symptoms, and signs of whooping cough?
• How is whooping cough transmitted?
• Can adults get whooping cough?
• How is whooping cough diagnosed?
• How is whooping cough treated?
• Complications of whooping cough
• Pertussis Glossary
• Pertussis Index

How is whooping cough treated?

Antibiotics directed against Bordetella pertussis can be effective in reducing the severity of pertussis when administered early in the course of the disease. Antibiotic therapy can also help reduce the risk of transmission of the bacterium to other household members as well as to others who may come into contact with an infected person. Unfortunately, most people with pertussis are diagnosed later with the condition in the second (paroxysmal) stage of the disease. Treatment with antibiotics is recommended for anyone who has had the disease for less than 21 days. Azithromycin (Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole are antibiotics which have been shown to be effective in treating whooping cough. It is unclear whether antibiotics have any benefit for people who have been ill with pertussis for longer periods, although antibiotic therapy is still often considered for this group. There is no proven effective treatment for the paroxysms of coughing that accompany pertussis.

Antibiotics are also routinely administered to people who have had close contact with an infected person, regardless of their vaccination status.

Complications of whooping cough (pertussis)

The most common complication and the cause of most pertussis-related deaths is secondary bacterial pneumonia. (Secondary bacterial pneumonia is bacterial pneumonia that follows another infection of the lung, be it viral or bacterial. Secondary pneumonia is caused by a different virus or bacterium than the original infection.) Young infants are at highest risk for whooping cough and also for pertussis-associated complications, including secondary pneumonia. Data from 2001-2003 indicate that secondary pneumonia occurred among 4.9% of all reported pertussis cases.

Pertussis can cause serious illness and even death in young children; 13 children died from the infection in 2003. From 2004-2005, 66 deaths due to whooping cough were reported to the CDC, and 56 of these were children under 3 months of age. Most of the pertussis-related deaths have occurred in children who have not been vaccinated or who are too young to have received the vaccine.

Other possible complications of pertussis include seizures, encephalopathy (abnormal function of the brain due to decreased oxygen delivery to the brain), reactive airway disease (asthma), dehydration, and malnutrition.

For immunization information on pertussis for children, adolescents, and adults, please visit the following areas:

• Immunizations (Vaccination) for Adolescents and Adults
• Immunizations (Vaccinations) for Infants and Children

References: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov)

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