Whooping cough is a very infectuous bacterial infection which attacks the mucous membranes in the airways. It is infectious in the way that microscopic drops is being breathed in from a sick person's expiration or sneezing or by direct contact with the sick (through saliva). From the actual contamination until the outbreak of the disease 7 - 21 days pass. Whooping cough is contagious from the first tender symtoms until about 6 weeks after the outbreak of the disease.
The symptoms start with the symptoms of a cold lasting 14 - 21 days. After this, the violent coughing attacks with difficulties of breathing start which can give the skin a reddish blue colour on account of a lack of oxygen. After a coughing attack, the child might sometimes vomit. The coughing attacks are worst during the night. Fever is seldom. The disease peaks over a period of 14 days after which it most often abates. The coughing period, however, can last from 2 and more rarely to 8 weeks.
Very severe and frequent coughing attacks, lack of oxygen, nose bleeding, and vomiting can occur; especially in small children which can be quite a source of worry.
Other complications of whooping cough can be fever with bronchitis or pneumonia. More rarely inflammation of the brain.
Children with parents who smoke a lot of tobacco have the worst symptoms of whooping cough as the smoke can have caused a weak pulmonary state and bothers them.
There is a vaccination against whooping cough, which is offered to all babies in the UK in the early months of life.
