What is whooping cough?
Caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis, it infects the lining of your nose, throat and breathing tubes. It causes intense bouts of coughing and trouble breathing. Each bout may last for two or three minutes and the cough may go on for three months, which is why it’s sometimes called the hundred day cough. “Whoop” is the sound made when you breathe in deeply after coughing.
