What causes whooping cough?
Whooping cough is caused by infection with Bordetella pertussis or B. parapertussis bacteria. The infection easily spreads from person to person through respiratory secretions or mucus, which can be emitted during coughing or sneezing. The incubation period is about 7 to 14 days, meaning that symptoms start about 1 to 2 weeks after exposure to the bacteria. Getting immunized helps prevent whooping cough infection and the spread of the disease. The whooping cough vaccine is recommended for children, adolescents, and adults. Routine immunization especially helps babies, older adults, and others who are at high risk for problems caused by whooping cough. Caregivers who never got immunized-and may not even know that they have the illness-can spread whooping cough to babies and other people who aren’t immunized. You can get whooping cough more than once. After being immunized or after recovering from whooping cough infection, you are temporarily protected from getting a severe form of the d
