Pertussis (whooping cough) is a respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. There are two kinds of vaccines used today to protect against whooping cough, which are the DTaP and the Tdap vaccines.

Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of whooping cough usually develop within 5 to 10 days after you come into contact with the bacteria that cause it. Sometimes symptoms do not develop for as long as 3 weeks. Whooping cough may begin like a common cold, but unlike a cold, the coughing can last for weeks or months. 

Early Symptoms: Stage 1 can last for 1 to 2 weeks and usually include:

• Runny or stuffed-up nose
• Low-grade fever (less than 100.4°F)
• Mild, occasional cough (babies do not do this)
• Apnea (life-threatening pauses in breathing) and cyanosis (turning blue or purple) in babies and young children.

Later Symptoms: Stage 2 can last 1 to 2 weeks after the first symptoms start, people with whooping cough may develop paroxysms—rapid, violent, and uncontrolled coughing fits. These coughing fits usually last 1 to 6 weeks but can last for up to 10 weeks. 

Coughing fits can cause people to

• Make a high-pitched “whoop” sound when they are finally able to inhale at the end of a coughing fit
• Vomit during or after coughing fits
• Feel very tired after the fit, but usually seem well in-between fits
• Struggle to breathe

Recovery: Stage 3 the cough becomes milder and less common as you get better.

Coughing fits may stop for a while but can return if you get other respiratory infections. Coughing fits can return many months after the whooping cough illness started.