Whooping Cough
Childhood disease with characteristic violent cough. Bordetella pertussis causing paroxysmal cough with inspiratory whoop.
Key facts
| Cause | Bacteria |
|---|---|
| Spread | Airborne (Droplet) |
| Incubation | 5–10 days |
| Vaccine | Yes |
| Treatment | Antibiotics (macrolides, TMP-SMX) |
Did you know?
Pertussis causes extreme lymphocytosis (>50,000/μL) not through systemic infection but because pertussis toxin blocks lymphocyte trafficking signals. Lymphocytes accumulate in blood because they can't migrate to tissues properly, creating a "traffic jam" effect.
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