Abstract

Whooping cough is a notifiable bacterial respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. It may produce serious disease, especially in immunocompromised individuals and very young children. The number of reported cases increases in the winter months and the incidence peaks every 4–5 years. However, this periodicity is variable and is inconsistent between different geographical regions. Bordetella pertussis infection (BPI) may be underdiagnosed because of its seasonality and the fact that clinical features may be indistinguishable from other respiratory disorders in the paediatric ED setting. Treatment with antibiotics reduces the period of infectivity but may not shorten the illness. This review discusses the epidemiology of the disease, its clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and the disposition of patients with BPI.