Definition of pertussis Pertussis

/pɚtʌˈsɪs/ - [pertusis] - per•tus•sis

We found 7 definitions of pertussis from 7 different sources.

What does pertussis mean?

Noun
pertussis - a disease of the respiratory mucous membrane
		whooping cough
		infectious disease a disease transmitted only by a specific kind of contact

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pertussis
A contagious disease of the respiratory system that usually affects children.

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a disease that kills about 300,000 people in the world every year, out of 30–50 million cases per year. There is a vaccine that can prevent it, so most cases of it are in places where people cannot afford, or cannot get, the vaccine. However, this vaccine does not work forever. The disease lasts about 6 weeks, and symptoms include vomiting, violent coughing, and other flu-like symptoms. It is called whooping cough for the sound an infected person makes when they cough.

The disease usually infects younger people, as they are more prone to diseases.