Pertussis (whooping cough)
Pertussis is also known as whooping cough. It is a highly infectious bacterial disease involving the respiratory tract. It is caused by a bacterium (Bordetella pertussis or Bordetella Parapertussis) that is found in the mouth, nose and throat of an infected person.
Symptoms usually appear 7 to 10 days after infection, but may also appear up to 21 days later. Initially, symptoms resemble those of a common cold, including sneezing, runny nose, low-grade fever and a mild cough.
