Treatment for the ancient disease--Whooping cough

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection caused by any of three bacteria from the family of Bordetella. Children are especially susceptible to whooping cough.  When anyone has whooping cough infection, the bacteria stick to the outer lung cells and release a toxin which keeps the person’s lungs from clearing mucus.  The person deals with severe coughing as the body tries to rid itself of excess mucus.  As the person (child) finally coughs up the mucus and clears the throat, he draws in a big breath of air which creates the “whoop” sound. 

Antibiotics are only partially effective as treatment for whooping cough because the bacteria live on the outer lining of the lungs and cause this illness.  Until the recent questions by the experts, the pertussis vaccine was considered the answer.  The pertussis vaccine is included in the DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) More information can be found at http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/feds-find-whooping-coughs-increase-alarming-645472/?print=1 Moore, Peter, The Little Book of Pandemics, (New York City:  Fall River Press, 2009), 48.