Middle symptoms (2-6 weeks or more): coughing jags which can be followed by vomiting or “whooping” during inspiration, fatigue
Late symptoms: gradual resolution of cough, often over months
Coughing fits due to pertussis infection can last for up to 10 weeks or more; sometimes known as the "100 day cough."
Pertussis is generally treated with antibiotics, which are used to control the symptoms and to prevent infected people from spreading the disease.
The most effective way to prevent pertussis is through vaccination with DTaP for infants and children and with Tdap for pre-teens, teens and adults — protection from the childhood vaccine fades over time.
Vaccination of pre-teens, teens and adults with Tdap is especially important for families with new infants.
Vaccinated children and adults can become infected with and transmit pertussis; however, disease is less likely to be severe.
In 2010, 27,550 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) were reported in the U.S., but many more go undiagnosed and unreported.
Worldwide, there are 30-50 million cases of pertussis and about 300,000 deaths per year.
Since the 1980s, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of pertussis in the U.S., especially among 10-19 year olds and infants younger than 6 months of age.
