Whooping cough

Overview

Whooping cough is a bacterial and highly contagious infectious disease. It can occur at any age, but mostly affects children younger than five. It starts with cold-like symptoms. This is followed by intense, hacking coughing bouts, usually at night, which bring up thick phlegm or cause vomiting. Vaccination is recommended according to the Swiss vaccination schedule.

Symptoms

• Incubation period: 5-20 days

Typically progresses in three stages

• Catarrhal stage (1 - 2 weeks)
  • Symptoms resemble those of the common cold
  • Begins gradually with a runny nose, sneezing
  • Conjunctivitis
  • No or slight fever
• Paroxysmal stage (2 - 6 weeks)
  • Episodes of intense, hacking coughing (usually at night)
  • Protruding tongue when coughing
  • Last cough is followed by a sharp intake of breath that produces a characteristic “whoop” sound
  • Coughing bouts recur frequently
  • Coughing brings up thick phlegm or causes vomiting
  • Lips, eyes and face may be swollen
  • Sometimes, bleeding into the conjunctiva
• Convalescent stage (10 - 12 weeks)
  • Symptoms improve
  • Coughing attacks are less frequent and intense

Complications

• Pneumonia, pulmonary emphysema (hyperinflated lungs)
• Middle ear infection
• Sinus infection
• Possible consequences of intense coughing: brain haemorrhage, rib fractures, hernias
• In particular in infants
  • Potentially fatal respiratory arrest
  • Seizures

Causes and treatment

Causes

• Pathogen: Bordetella pertussis bacteria
• Droplet infection: transmitted by speaking, sneezing, coughing, etc.

General

• Highly contagious
• Temporary rather than lifelong immunity against a second infection after recovering from whooping cough

Further treatment by your doctor / in hospital

Possible tests

• Physical examination
• Blood test
• Nasal and throat swabs (search for pathogen)

Possible therapies

• Antibiotics
• Oxygen therapy and humidification of respiratory air
• Bronchodilating medication, if necessary
• Infected infants are treated in the children’s hospital (monitoring of breathing)

What can I do myself?

• Vaccinations (as recommended by the Swiss vaccination schedule)
• Avoid contact with whooping cough patients
• Children with whooping cough
  • Quiet, dark room
  • Humidification, open windows
  • Keep calm during bouts of coughing
  • Walks in the fresh air
  • Frequent small meals
  • Drink plenty of fluids

When to see a doctor?

• Intense coughing that goes on for more than a week
• Bouts of coughing, sometimes followed by vomiting
• Severe headaches
• Signs of paralysis
• Shortness of breath
• Whooping cough in children younger than two

Further information

Federal Office of Public Health, FOPH (Bundesamt für Gesundheit, BAG)
www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en

Synonyms

whooping cough, pertussis