Pertussis

Pertussis

The common and scientific name of the disease.

Pertussis is the scientific name of the disease. Whooping Cough is the common name of the disease. People usually call it Whooping Cough.

What causes it? How is it transmitted?

Pertussis is caused by** bacterium Bordetella pertussis**. It is one of the bacteria that will go down to your lungs. It is usually spread through droplets coughed or sneezed into the air.

What are the symptoms? How long do they last? Is it deadly?

People who is infected by Pertussis will be coughing intensively and when they cough, they will make a "whoop" sound at the end. At first, they will be coughing normally in the incubation period and they will be worse than before if you did not care about it. As you know you will be coughing normally, you will be spreading the germs easily. Pertussis can lead to dehydration and brain damage. They usually last for 6 weeks before subsiding but the incubation period usually last for 1 to 2 weeks. If a 6 months old baby was infected, it can lead to death if his parents don't do anything about it.

Can it be cured? If so, how? If not, is there any way that we can at least treat it?

It can be cured by using antibiotic, usually erythromycin. The medication kills bacteria in the nose and throat, and antibiotic helps you to reduce the ability of infected people to spread pertussis to others. People that are infected should drink more water to prevent dehydrations. media type="youtube" key="wuvn-vp5InE" width="425" height="350" align="center" Edmund Chu 9.4