What is whooping cough?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on June 30, 2025
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Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a respiratory infectious disease mainly caused by Bordetella pertussis infection, leading to respiratory infection symptoms. Clinically, it is characterized by irritating coughing. Due to the long duration of the disease, it is called pertussis. If symptoms of persistent coughing not improving are accompanied by muscle soreness and fever, checking the routine of secretions can be considered. If diagnosed with a Bordetella pertussis infection, oral or intravenous macrolide antibiotics can be used for anti-inflammatory treatment and symptomatic management. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor based on the specific situation.)

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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Can whooping cough be cured?

Whooping cough can be cured. First, it is important to have a correct understanding, avoid mental tension, and not be under too much mental stress. This disease is a respiratory infectious disease and predominantly occurs in children under five years old, with a high occurrence rate in the autumn and winter seasons. The main typical symptoms include paroxysmal, cluster-like coughing. The early stages of the disease resemble common cold symptoms, with occurrences like runny nose, sneezing, and tearing up. Generally, after about a week, rapid, paroxysmal coughing occurs, and some coughs may sound like a dog barking, also known as a bark-like cough.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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What are the symptoms of whooping cough?

Pertussis has many symptoms. The early symptoms are the same as those of a common cold, including a runny nose, sore throat, and fever. About one to two weeks later, episodic, spastic coughing occurs. Some may also experience a barking cough and a crowing sound during inhalation, which are characteristic symptoms of pertussis. This type of cough can lead to complications such as an acute facial expression, redness in the face and ears, runny nose, tears, and vomiting. It is necessary to culture the pathogen and choose sensitive antibiotics to kill this bordetella pertussis.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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How long does it take to cure whooping cough?

Whooping cough can generally be cured in about 10-20 days with timely treatment. This disease is a respiratory infectious disease that causes severe, spasmodic, paroxysmal coughing, as well as a barking cough, and a crowing sound when inhaling, commonly seen in babies under five years old. Therefore, children should be vaccinated against whooping cough in time to prevent this infectious disease. The treatment of this disease should involve macrolide antibiotics or cephalosporin antibiotics to kill the pathogen, which is either Corynebacterium diphtheriae or Bordetella pertussis.

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Written by Zeng Hai Jiang
Pediatrics
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Why is whooping cough milder during the day and worse at night?

Whooping cough is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis infection, commonly seen in children. The main symptoms are paroxysmal spasmodic coughing, a crowing inspiratory noise, with coughing occurring both during the day and at night, more significantly at night. The main reasons are as follows: first, the dry indoor air causes irritation. Second, during the night, the mucus secreted by the bronchial mucosa cannot be expelled from the body, which stimulates the bronchial nerves and triggers worsening cough symptoms. Coughing can also cause redness of the face and ears, runny nose, nausea, and vomiting.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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Is the pertussis vaccine a live vaccine?

The pertussis vaccine is a type of attenuated live vaccine, which clinically is mainly part of a combination vaccine that includes pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus, commonly referred to as the DTP vaccine. Normally, a baby should receive the first dose at three months of age, followed by the second dose in the fourth and fifth months, as part of basic immunization. Between the age of eighteen months and two years, another dose is administered to boost immunity, which after producing lifelong antibodies, prevents reinfection with the disease.