What is Whooping cough (pertussis)?

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is like a sneeze party that doesn’t want to end, it keeps coming back and brings friends with it.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite toy, and suddenly your nose starts running and you can't stop coughing. That's whooping cough! It makes people cough so much, sometimes they sound like a chicken trying to sing, “whoop!”, hence the name whooping cough.

Whooping cough is caused by a tiny germ called bordetella bacteria, which sneaks into your nose and throat. Once there, it starts a coughing spree, like when you laugh so hard you can't breathe. The more you cough, the more uncomfortable it gets, sometimes people even feel dizzy or throw up from all that coughing.

It's like when you share a snack with a friend who has a cold, you might get it too! Whooping cough spreads through sneezes and coughs, so if someone near you is coughing a lot, they might be giving you the "cough gift."

That’s why it helps to wash your hands or wear a mask sometimes, it's like wearing a tiny shield against germs.