Symptoms follow a classic three stages of disease lasting about six to eight weeks: Catarrhal Stage: This first stage is defined by a hacking cough usually at night. Symptoms are similar to a cold with a runny nose, congestion and sneezing. This is usually the most contagious period and lasts about a couple weeks. Paroxysmal Stage: After a couple of weeks, the coughing can get worse, meaning more irritating and repetitive. Sometimes the cough is so bad that the person can vomit from it. Other complications from repeated coughing can be eye hemorrhages, hernias, and coughing spells. The typical whooping cough is present during this periods, although young infant may not develop the characteristic sound. Antibiotics tend to be much less effective during this stage. Convalescent Stage: This is the third and final stage, where the coughing finally subsides. However, another upper respiratory infection may trigger the symptoms.

One of the success stories of widespread immunization conducted earlier in the century, was the vaccination of pertussis, also known as whooping cough. This disease often led to a devastating lung infection, causing many deaths in children.

It was pretty well suppressed for many years due to immunization, but recently, more and more cases are being reported, especially in areas where unimmunized people have been prevalent. 5000 new cases are reported in the United States each year, and it appears the number keeps growing.

Because of this, many physicians have to be made especially aware of the diagnosis of disease, so we can once again prevent a potential epidemic.

Whooping cough is a contagious infection that is so named due to the sound a person makes with this irritating, repeating cough. The bacteria that is usually responsible is Bordetella Pertussis.

Children under 1 years of age and the elderly are the most susceptible, but even healthy adults (especially unimmunized adults) can contract the disease leading to a chronic cough. It is spread by contaminated respiratory droplets from people who have contracted the disease.

The Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine (DTP) has been very effective in preventing this disease from occurring. The vaccine is given about five times until four to six years of age, and it is important for parents to keep up with their childs immunizations.

Side effects of the DTP vaccine have included fevers and soreness at the site of injection, and a safer alternative may be the acellular pertussis vaccine (DtaP) which are reported to have less problems. This can be only given starting at fifteen months of age.

If a doctor suspects someone having pertussis, he or she will often order lab tests including a chest x-ray, blood work and a bacterial culture, which is obtained in the nasal passages.

Once diagnosed, if the disease is thought to be mild in nature, the physician will place the patient on antibiotics. It is also recommended that the child gets rest and a cool mist humidifier should be used to help with the breathing.

As a child often vomits due to the violent coughing, it is important they get adequate fluids to prevent dehydration. If the doctor believes the patient to be hospitalized, antibiotics will be given intravenously and possibly oxygen support.

The most important thing we can do as parents to combat this disease is prevention. Keeping close attention of childrens vaccination schedules are paramount. The key times to remember are 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 months, and 4 to 6 years.