Whooping Cough: Important Updates for Clinicians and Patients
Released December 10, 2025
About the Webinar
In this webinar, Dr. Paul Auwaerter provides an overview of whooping cough in the context of rising cases in 2025, covering its transmission, diagnosis, management, and current vaccination options.
Webinar Recording
Webinar Audio
Webinar Summary
Dr. Auwaerter opens with a personal story—his own infant son’s near-hospitalization with suspected pertussis in the late 1990s. The case illustrates how easily the disease can be missed in adults, how quickly it can spread through close-contact settings, and how dangerous it becomes once it reaches newborns. Despite its long history and initial decline following widespread vaccination, pertussis has resurged in recent years, particularly as respiratory infections rebounded after the early pandemic lull.
He explains that pertussis often goes unrecognized because early symptoms resemble a common cold. The classic stages—catarrhal, paroxysmal, and convalescent—can span weeks to months. Adults may not develop the hallmark “whoop,” yet still experience severe coughing fits, while infants may show apnea, feeding difficulty, cyanosis, and marked lymphocytosis, all indicators of potentially severe disease. Complications differ by age, with infants at far greater risk for hospitalization, pneumonia, and even death.
Dr. Auwaerter highlights how modern PCR testing has improved diagnosis, especially in the first weeks of illness. By the time many adults seek care, they are often past the most infectious period, which limits the impact of treatment. When started early, macrolides can reduce transmission, and post-exposure prophylaxis is important for high-risk contacts such as infants, pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, and childcare workers.
Turning to prevention, he explains the strengths and limitations of today’s acellular pertussis vaccines. Although far safer than the older whole-cell formulation, their protection wanes within a few years, contributing to ongoing outbreaks. Still, vaccination during pregnancy remains highly effective, providing passive immunity that sharply reduces infant hospitalization and mortality.
He concludes by urging clinicians to consider pertussis in any persistent cough lasting more than two weeks, to test and treat early when possible, and to ensure timely immunization—especially for pregnant patients—to protect the most vulnerable.
View a PDF of the webinar summary:
https://www.unboundmedicine.com/ann/webinars/2025/Whooping_Cough_Important...
About The Presenter
Paul Auwaerter, MD, MBA, FIDSA
Paul G. Auwaerter is the Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, serving as the Clinical Director for the Division of Infectious Diseases and Director of the Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Center for Environmental Infectious Diseases. He serves as the Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins Point of Care-Information Technology (POC-IT) Center, producing the Johns Hopkins ABX (Antibiotic) Guide, JH HIV, JH Osler, JH Psychiatry, and JH Diabetes Guides. Dr. Auwaerter serves as Editor-in-Chief of the ABX Guide. Over the last 20 years, it has become a standard reference for ID-related clinical decision support and rational antimicrobial management. Dr. Auwaerter’s research and clinical interests include improving the diagnosis, care, and prevention of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections, as well as surgical infections, Epstein-Barr virus, and antibiotic resistance. He has published over 125 articles and 30 textbook chapters. He is a Past President of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the largest professional society worldwide related to infectious diseases. In 2025, Dr. Paul Auwaerter was presented with the inaugural Osler Award for Clinical Excellence, recognizing his contributions to patient care, education, and innovation at Johns Hopkins.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Johns Hopkins Antibiotic (ABX) Guide: https://www.hopkinsguides.com
Unbound Medicine: https://www.unboundmedicine.com