The Re-emergence of Whooping Cough

Whooping cough, also called ‘the cough of 100 days’, is an acute and highly contagious disease of the upper respiratory tract caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It is transmitted via droplets in the air from coughing and sneezing. The main symptoms are severe bouts of coughing, often followed by vomiting. Before the introduction of a whooping cough vaccine in the 1950s, whooping cough was a major cause of infant death, with more than 120,000 infections annually in the UK. Vaccination was incredibly successful and resulted in a 99% fall in incidence. However, worldwide (mostly in developing countries), it still kills nearly 200,000 infants and adolescents annually. In this podcast, I explore why we're now seeing a re-emergence of whooping cough in the UK, particularly in older children and adults. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)