Whooping Cough or Pertussis

Whooping Cough or Pertussis

Whooping Cough or Pertussis
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 6
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.14

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		outdated, pneumonia, life-threatening, immunity, spells, somewhat, diphtheria, offering, distinctive, risky, therefore, especially, booster, coughing, fade, medical
	content words:		United States, Jules Bordet, Octave Gengou

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Whooping Cough or Pertussis
By Jennifer Kenny

¹     The illness pertussis might just ring a bell somewhere in your brain. It sounds somewhat outdated, but children still are immunized for it. In fact, it's made somewhat of a recurrence so doctors are even examining the idea of immunizing against it once again later in life.

²     What exactly is pertussis? It is an infection of the respiratory system. What causes it? Bordetella pertussis, otherwise known as B pertussis, does. How did an illness known as pertussis come to be called whooping cough? One of the distinctive signs of the infection is a severe coughing spell. At the end of the coughing spell, when the sick person breathes in, there's a "whooping" sound.

³     In the United States alone, before there were vaccines against pertussis, five to ten thousand people were killed each year because of the infection. In 1906, two French scientists, Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou, identified the particular bacteria causing the illness. After the vaccine was developed in the mid 1940s, less than thirty people a year died from it. One would think that was the end of the story; however, the number of cases has risen recently, indicating that some of the immunity of the vaccine may fade over time. This is especially risky to little babies who haven't been immunized yet, and therefore, are not protected yet.

⁴     What are the signs and symptoms of pertussis? It starts out similar to the cold or flu - runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, and fever. A week or two into the "cold," severe coughing spells begin. The person suffering from pertussis may even turn red or purple from coughing. Then there is either a whooping sound or sometimes even vomiting. This may last for two to four weeks. Gradually, over several weeks, or maybe even over several months, the symptoms slowly go away.

⁵     In adults or adolescents, symptoms may be milder. In infants, the coughing may have a different sound. Babies may gasp for air and turn really red. They may become so exhausted from coughing that they stop breathing. Whooping cough can occur at any age, but it is more severe in those under twelve months of age and those who weren't immunized.

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