Whooping cough is most serious in babies younger than 4 months of age. Usually, the younger the infant, the more serious the illness.
In the United States in 2001 through 2003:1
- Whooping cough occurred in 33 people out of 1,000,000, on average.
- The occurrence of whooping cough among children and adolescents ages 10 to 19 almost doubled.
It is likely that a much higher number of people become infected with whooping cough than is reported. This may be in part because teens and adults usually have a milder form of the disease and don't see a doctor for treatment. Also, doctors may not always recognize mild symptoms as being related to whooping cough, and lab tests do not always detect the disease.
Credits
| Author | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Christine Hahn, MD - Epidemiology |
| Last Updated | January 4, 2008 |
Christine Hahn, MD - Epidemiology
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