The bacteria Bordetella Pertussis causes whooping cough, also known as whooping cough. It is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection that causes inflammation and damage to the lining of the airways. This leads to excessive mucus production which irritates the respiratory tract and causes the coughing illness. Whooping cough can cause other serious illnesses and is usually spread through coughing or sneezing during close contact with other people who then breathe in the bacteria that causes the illness. You can get whooping cough more than once, sometimes even years apart, at any age. If you have not completed the primary vaccination series, you are at higher risk of serious illness. “Since the 1980s, the number of reported cases of whooping cough has gradually increased in the United States. In 2005, more than 25,000 cases of whooping cough were reported in the United States, the highest number of cases reported since 1959. About 60 percent of cases involved adolescents and adults, due to the decline in pertussis. 'immunity of this population' (Department of Health). , nd).Once you are infected, symptoms may appear between 4 and 21 days, but usually occur between 7 and 14 days and can last 6 to 10 weeks, or sometimes longer. In young children, 3 stages can occur, not necessarily the same stages for older children and adults. Symptoms in the first stage are more like the common cold, which include a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, red or watery eyes, mild fever, and dry cough. These symptoms can last from several days to 2 weeks and it is at this stage that you are most likely to spread the disease. The second stage is where your cold symptoms will start to improve but the cough will get worse. The cough becomes so uncontrollable that there are seizures, shock or coma. If you are moderately or severely ill, you should wait to be vaccinated until you recover. If you have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction or contracted a brain or nervous system disease within 7 days of a dose of DTaP, you should not receive another dose. Whooping cough is not a disease to be taken lightly. Regular cough medicines will not work for whooping cough. If you have a prolonged or severe cough, you should contact your doctor as it may be whooping cough. Works cited Ministry of Health, (nd). Retrieved from www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/pertussis/fact_sheet.htmA look at each vaccine, (2013) Retrieved from www.chop.edu/service/vaccine-education-center/a-look-at-each -vaccine/dtap-diphtheria-tetanos-and-pertussis-vaccine.htmlPertussis, (nd). Retrieved from www.immunizationinfo.org/vaccines/pertussis-whooping-cough