Whooping cough or Pertussis, is a disease that is a highly contagious and effects the lungs. It is bacterial disease, meaning it is spread by bacteria. It was discovered in 1906 by two French scientists, Jules Bordet and Octave Genguo. They were bacteriologists which means they specialize in the study of bacteria.

Whooping cough starts off as just a regular old cough. Symptoms include heavy coughing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. Since it is a bacterial disease, the bacteria spreads through coughing and when it hits its peak the whooping cough can cause you to vomit and have extreme cough attacks. You will be low on oxygen which is extremely dangerous for infants. The combination of low oxygen and coughing can cause the infant to pop a brain cell and even die. Although whooping cough only kills around 30 people in the United States an year, it is still something to be concerned about. Before the vaccine there was an estimated 5000-10,000 deaths a year in the United States.

As far as scientists know, whooping cough has no beneficial use. There are currently two tetanus and reduced antigen content diphtheria and acellular Pertussis vaccines. Vaccines are a great way to prevent it and help save lives especially infants and older people. Will there ever be a cure to Pertussis? At this exact point in time there is no cure to Pertussis but it can be prevented with vaccines.

As you are sick the infection gradually begins to grow, and eventually resolves after a