Whooping cough usually starts with cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose and dry cough, which last for about one week. After that, a more definite cough develops, which may last for 10 weeks or more. The cough comes in long spells and often ends with a high-pitched 'whoop' sound when the child breathes in.
The first symptoms of pertussis may be similar to those of a common cold, including nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, red and watery eyes, mild fever, and a dry cough. After about one week to 2 weeks, the dry cough becomes a wet cough that brings up thick, stringy mucus.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a respiratory infection that can cause coughing fits. In serious cases, the coughing can become violent and rapid. You may cough so hard that you vomit. The name of the disease comes from the whooping noise you might make when you try to breathe in after coughing.
Runny or stuffed-up nose. Low-grade fever (less than 100.4°F) Mild, occasional cough (babies do not do this) Apnea (life-threatening pauses in breathing) and cyanosis (turning blue or purple) in babies and young children.
The first symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a cold, such as a runny nose, red and watery eyes, a sore throat, and a slightly raised temperature. Intense coughing bouts start about a week later. The bouts usually last a few minutes at a time and tend to be more common at night.
Accompanying the coughing fits, the person infected with pertussis will also have thick mucus. If you're coughing up thick ropes of slime during coughing fits, it's a good sign that you'll want to get to the doctor instead of trying to wait out this “cold.”
Parapertussis is a disease that affects the lungs. Parapertussis is similar to pertussis (whooping cough), but is less severe. Holmesii is a relatively new bacteria. It is similar to parapertussis and pertussis, but it is less common.
A bronchitis cough sounds like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. As your condition progresses, you will first have a dry cough that can then progress towards coughing up white mucus.
Whooping cough (pertussis) 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."
Treating whooping cough (pertussis) early with antibiotics may make the infection less serious and help prevent spreading the bacteria that cause it to others. See a doctor if you think you or your child may have whooping cough.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a very contagious respiratory infection that causes a distinctive “whooping” cough. The condition can cause bouts of repeated, violent coughing that may come and go and last for weeks or months. Pertussis can cause severe, life-threatening illness, especially in babies.
The bacteria that cause whooping cough spread easily from person to person through the air. When a person who has whooping cough sneezes or coughs, they can release small particles with the bacteria in them. Other people then breathe in the bacteria.
Drink plenty of fluids, including water, juices and soups, and eat fruits to prevent dehydration. Although infection can occur throughout the year, be particularly cautious during the summer and fall months when pertussis cases tend to peak.
It can be frightening to hear your child coughing or struggling to breathe. Both croup and whooping cough can cause these symptoms, but one of these childhood illnesses is much more serious than the other.
Symptoms usually appear about 7 to 10 days after exposure. But symptoms can appear from 4 to 21 days after a person is infected. It is rare but it can take up to 6 weeks to develop symptoms. Some people have milder symptoms, especially if they have been vaccinated.
What does a pneumonia cough sound like? This will depend on the type of pneumonia you have and be either a dry or chesty cough. Bacterial pneumonia is more serious and often results in a gurgling sound when breathing and mucus or phlegm when coughing.
While symptoms for either bronchitis or pneumonia can range from mild to serious enough to require hospitalization, symptoms such as fever, breathing problems, and chest pain tend to be more severe with pneumonia.
Croup is a common childhood illness that causes swelling in the upper airway. This can cause a change in voice and characteristic “croupy” cough that sounds like a seal or bark. There are a number of viruses that have been found to cause croup, the most common being parainfluenza virus.
After an incubation period of 1 to 3 weeks, pertussis infection typically progresses through three distinct stages: the catarrhal phase, the paroxysmal phase, and the convalescent phase.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
PCR is a rapid test and has excellent sensitivity. PCR tests vary in specificity, so obtaining culture confirmation of pertussis for at least one suspicious case is recommended any time there is suspicion of a pertussis outbreak.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a serious, contagious, respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease begins like a cold and then the characteristic cough develops. This cough may last up to 3 months, even after antibiotic treatment is completed and the person is no longer infectious.
Some people have whooping cough without knowing it, so they may not see a doctor and it could go undiagnosed and unreported.
Pertussis bacteria die off naturally after three weeks of coughing. If antibiotics are not started within that time, they are no longer recommended. Antibiotics can also be given to close contacts of persons with pertussis to prevent or lessen the symptoms.
Pertussis can occur at any age. There is an increasing number of adults and adolescents who are being diagnosed with pertussis. At present, the age groups with the most pertussis diagnoses are infants below one year of age, and adolescents between 10 and 20 years of age.