Pertussis (whooping cough) is an acute respiratory infection caused by a bacterium called Bordetella pertussis.
It is a highly contagious infection (especially in unvaccinated people). Pertussis is transmitted from person to person through small respiratory droplets that contain the bacterium. These droplets are expelled by the sick person and then move through the air, facilitating its spread. Pertussis is an illness that usually lasts several weeks.
The symptoms that appear are divided into 3 distinct phases: a catarrhal phase lasting 1-2 weeks, a coughing phase lasting 2-4 weeks, and a final convalescent or remission phase lasting 1-3 weeks.
Diagnosis is based on symptoms and confirmed by a laboratory test called PCR of nasopharyngeal mucus aspirate or smear.
Treatment is with oral antibiotics. Vaccination is the main preventive measure for this disease.
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