Pertussis (or whooping cough) is a bacterial disease caused by the gram negative organism Bordetella pertussis (1,2)
Transmission of the disease is from human to human by droplets (1).
The Chinese refer to whooping cough as the 100 day cough; this description gives the parents some idea of what to expect.
A positive history of pertussis vaccination does not preclude the diagnosis - the vaccination only confers 95% protection. Also, maternal antibody does not appear to confer any significant protection from infection.
In England and Wales, pertussis is a notifiable disease (diagnosis made on clinical ground and laboratory confirmation is not required) (2,3).
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