REPORT THIS DISEASE TO COBB & DOUGLAS PUBLIC HEALTH IMMEDIATELY
AT: 770-524-2432
For additional reporting options, please click here.
WHAT IS IT?
Pertussis, (whooping cough) is a highly contagious respiratory bacterial disease. People with pertussis usually spread the disease to another person by coughing or sneezing or when spending a lot of time near one another where you share breathing space. Whooping cough is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which can make breathing very difficult.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
First 1-2 Weeks
- Runny nose
- Low-grade fever
- Coughing
After
- Paroxysms fits of coughs
- Vomiting
- Exhaustion
In Babies
- Apnea (Trouble breathing)
- Blue/purple skin
Whooping cough usually lasts 10 weeks. A person is contagious from 1 to 21 days after the cough begins. Whooping cough can be very serious for babies less than a year old. In about 50% of cases of babies less than a year, they may need to be hospitalized to help relieve the symptoms.