Who is affected by whooping cough

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Who is affected by whooping cough

In the United States between 1997 and 2000, whooping cough occurred in nearly 3 people out of every 100,000.¹ Out of 29,048 people reported whose ages were known, 29% were aged 1 year or younger and about 51% were age 9 and younger. ¹

Whooping cough is most serious in babies younger than 4 months of age. Usually, the younger the infant, the more serious the illness.

It is likely that a far higher number of people become infected with whooping cough than is reported. This may be in part because teens and adults usually have a milder form of the disease and don't see a health professional for treatment. Also, health professionals may not always recognize mild symptoms as being related to whooping cough, and laboratory tests do not always identify the disease.

References

Citations

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2002). Pertussis—United States. MMWR 51(4): 0149–2195.

Credits

Last updated:	January 18, 2006
Author:	Amy Fackler, MA
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Terrina Vail