Whooping cough

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In many people, it’s marked by a severe hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like whoop. Deaths associated with whooping cough are rare but most commonly occur in infants. That’s why it’s so important for pregnant women and other people who will have close contact with an infant to be vaccinated against whooping cough. Whooping cough is caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny germ laden droplets are sprayed into the air and breathed into the lungs of anyone who happens to be nearby.