Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the respiratory tract caused by Bordetella pertussis. It is characterized by severe coughing fits, often followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that produces the characteristic whoop, though this feature may be absent in infants and adults. The disease spreads easily through respiratory droplets and can be especially severe in young infants.
Facts
Condition Classinfectious, bacterial, acute 1 Causative AgentBordetella pertussis, a bacterium first isolated in 1906 by Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou, for whom it was later named. 1 First Described First Described (Era)Outbreaks of the disease were first described in the 16th century, more than three centuries before the causative bacterium was identified. 1 Classification
ICD-10 ChapterI: Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases 2 Communicable or Non-communicable Transmission Route Transmission Route Causative Agent
Causative Agent (category) Connections
Associated With
Bacterial respiratory infection (Bordetella pertussis); infectious disease specialty.
Treated By
Azithromycin is a first-line macrolide antibiotic for pertussis.
Source Hexavalent vaccine (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Whooping Cough
WikipediaWikipedia: Whooping cough, Discovery
Bordetella pertussis was discovered in 1906 by Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou (the bacterium is subsequently named Bordetella pertussis in honour of Jules Bordet).
Wikipedia: Whooping cough, lead section
Outbreaks of the disease were first described in the 16th century.
- Primary affected body system
View the Source 2. Wikipedia: ICD-10
WikipediaList of chapters, Chapter IQuote, List of chapters, Chapter I
Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
3. Wikidata: Pertussis
WikidataWikidata P1060 (disease transmission process): airborne transmission
droplet infection; airborne transmission
Wikidata P1060 (disease transmission process): droplet infection / droplet transmission
droplet infection; airborne transmission
View the Source Hexavalent vaccine (Wikipedia)
Treated By: Hexavalent Vaccine, Lead: treats PertussisQuote, Treated By: Hexavalent Vaccine, Lead: treats Pertussis
The term usually refers to the children's vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, haemophilus B, and hepatitis B, which is used in more than 90 countries around the world including in Europe, Canada, Australia, Jordan, and New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who discovered the bacterium that causes whooping cough?
Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou in 1906.
The bacterium was discovered in 1906 by Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou, and it was subsequently named Bordetella pertussis in honour of Bordet. Written descriptions of the disease itself are much older: outbreaks were first described in the 16th century, more than three centuries before the causative bacterium was identified.
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