What is pertussis and why is it called whooping cough?

Pertussis is a bacterial infection that causes severe, uncontrollable coughing fits. It's called 'whooping cough' because of the characteristic 'whoop' sound people make when gasping for air between coughs. In infants, the disease can be life-threatening, causing apnea (stopped breathing) without the classic whoop.

How does pertussis spread?

Pertussis spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It's extremely contagious - people with pertussis typically infect 12-17 close contacts. You can spread the disease from early infection stages, often before you even know you're sick.

What are the stages of pertussis?

Pertussis has three stages: 1) Catarrhal stage (1-2 weeks): mild cold-like symptoms. 2) Paroxysmal stage (1-6 weeks): severe coughing fits with the 'whoop' sound, vomiting after coughing. 3) Convalescent stage (weeks to months): gradual recovery, though coughing can persist for months.

Is the pertussis vaccine effective?

Yes, the DTaP vaccine (for children) and Tdap booster (for adolescents and adults) are effective at preventing pertussis. However, immunity wanes over time, which is why boosters are recommended. Vaccinated people who do get infected typically have much milder symptoms and are less likely to spread the disease.

Why are pertussis cases increasing?

Pertussis cases fluctuate in 3-5 year cycles, and waning immunity from childhood vaccination contributes to adult cases. Increased awareness and better diagnostic testing also reveal more cases. Vaccination remains the best protection, especially for pregnant women to protect newborns.

Where are pertussis outbreaks occurring?

Pertussis outbreaks can occur anywhere, often in schools and communities with lower vaccination rates. Check the live outbreak data above for current pertussis activity in your region.

Arizona

Pertussis in Arizona

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It causes severe coughing fits that can last for weeks or months.

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Qu'est-ce que Pertussis?

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, gets its name from the distinctive 'whooping' sound made when gasping for air after a coughing fit. Before the vaccine was developed, pertussis was a leading cause of childhood death worldwide. Today, it remains a serious threat, especially to infants who are too young to be fully vaccinated.

Symptômes

Initial cold-like symptoms (runny nose, mild fever)
Severe, uncontrollable coughing fits
Whooping sound when gasping for air
Vomiting after coughing
Exhaustion after coughing fits
Apnea (pauses in breathing) in infants

Transmission

Pertussis spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is highly contagious, especially in the first two weeks when symptoms resemble a common cold. Close contact with infected individuals poses the highest risk.

Période de Contagiosité : From early cold-like symptoms through 3 weeks after coughing begins (or 5 days after starting antibiotics)

Prévention

DTaP vaccine for infants and children (5 doses by age 6)
Tdap booster for adolescents (age 11-12) and adults
Tdap during each pregnancy (27-36 weeks) to protect newborns
Isolation of infected individuals
Prophylactic antibiotics for close contacts
Practice respiratory hygiene and handwashing

Arizona Ressources Santé

Informations du département de santé local et directives de prévention spécifiques à l'état

Nous Surveillons Arizona

Notre surveillance alimentée par IA surveille en continu l'activité de Pertussis dans tout Arizona. Nous suivons les données des services de santé des états, des hôpitaux locaux, des rapports du CDC et de plus de 50 sources de santé mondiales pour fournir une alerte précoce sur les menaces émergentes.

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Arizona Département de Santé

Pour les alertes officielles de santé de l'état, les lieux de vaccination et les directives de santé publique spécifiques à Arizona, visitez le site web du département de santé de votre état.

→ Arizona Département de Santé → CDC Pertussis Information → CDC Health Topics

Understanding Pertussis: Key Questions

Que vous viviez dans Arizona or are traveling there, knowing the symptoms, timeline, and when to seek care helps you act quickly if exposure occurs.

Quand Consulter un Médecin

Seek care if you experience severe dehydration, bloody stools, high fever, or symptoms lasting more than 3 days. Children under 5, adults over 65, and immunocompromised individuals should seek care earlier.

Symptômes d'urgence : Severe dehydration, inability to keep fluids down for 12 or more hours, or neurological symptoms require emergency care.

Ressources Expertes et Références

Informations fiables provenant des principales organisations de santé

CDC

Directives officielles des Centers for Disease Control and Prevention des États-Unis

Voir les Ressources du CDC →

WHO

Surveillance mondiale des maladies et directives de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé

Voir les Ressources de l'OMS →

Recherche

Dernières recherches évaluées par les pairs et études cliniques

Voir la Recherche →

Contenu Révisé Médicalement

Les informations sur les maladies sur Virus Watcher sont révisées par notre Épidémiologiste en Chef, ancien analyste principal du CDC pour les prévisions FluSight. Les données épidémiques sont agrégées à partir de sources vérifiées notamment BEACON, ProMED, OMS, CDC et plus de 50 agences nationales de santé. Ces informations sont à des fins éducatives et ne doivent pas remplacer les conseils médicaux professionnels.

Dernière révision : 2026-08-13

Recent Pertussis Reports

No confirmed cases reported in Arizona yet. Here are the latest Pertussis reports from our global surveillance network.

Most adults think of whooping cough as a vintage childhood disease or something you only need to worry about if you're visiting a newborn. And the most dangerous myth most of us accept as truth? That the immunisations we received as children protect us for life. But during 2024 a…

Australia · 2026-07-13

This event envelope contains reports on pertussis in Cameroon. *Source: BEACON* - [View Full Report](https://beaconbio.org/en/event/?eventid=e49f779c-4858-4373-a136-c0cd6c4074c1)

Cameroon · 2026-04-25

This event envelope contains reports on pertussis in Guam. *Source: BEACON* - [View Full Report](https://beaconbio.org/en/event/?eventid=5bd064e8-9bd0-428a-988f-02ed49f308f8)

Guam · 2026-04-14

Thousands of children in Kenya have been left vulnerable to deadly childhood diseases after repeated vaccine shortages disrupted immunisation programmes over the past five years. The shortages affected vaccines that protect babies from illnesses that can quickly become life-threa…

Kenya · 2026-07-16

An estimated 13.5 million "zero-dose" children, including 679,000 in India, did not receive a single vaccine in their first year in 2025, according to the annual WHO-UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) released on Wednesday. Nigeria topped the chart with 2…

World · World · 2026-07-16

CINCINNATI -- Meridian Bioscience, Inc., a leading global provider of diagnostic testing solutions and life science raw materials, announced today that Health Canada has granted a license for its Alethia® CMV assay. The addition of CMV expands Meridian's existing Alethia menu, wh…

Canada · 2026-07-15

From the day a baby is born, vaccination becomes one of the most important conversations during the infant's first year. Certainly, the conversation is just as important.Vaccines have transformed child health across the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), imm…

India · 2026-07-31

July 15 (Reuters) - Global childhood vaccination rates rose slightly in 2025, yet millions of children remained unprotected against preventable diseases as conflict, funding cuts and growing outbreaks undermined immunization efforts. According to the latest immunization estimate…

World · World · 2026-07-15

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