MQ: Pertussis in infants

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. In 2018, there were more than 151,000 cases of pertussis globally. Pertussis spreads easily from person to person mainly through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing. The disease is most dangerous in infants and is a significant cause of disease and death in this age group. The symptoms include mild fever, runny nose, and cough, which in typical cases gradually develops into a hacking cough followed by whooping hence it is also known as whooping cough.1 Local inflammatory changes occur in the mucosal lining of the respiratory tract. Atypical presentations are common in infants, and fever may not occur. Rather, tachypnea, apnea, cyanosis, and episodic bradycardia may be the presenting features.3