Short answers, pulled from the story.
The bacterium that causes whooping cough is named Bordetella pertussis. This pathogen was discovered in 1906 by Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou and spreads through the air via coughs and sneezes.
The first inactivated whole-cell vaccine was developed in 1912 by Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou. A safe and effective pertussis vaccine was later created in 1932 by pediatrician Leila Denmark in partnership with Emory University and Eli Lilly & Company.
The incubation period for whooping cough typically lasts seven to ten days but can range from six to 42 days. This silent spread allows the disease to transmit before the first symptoms appear.
Infants under one year old may suffer from apnea where they stop breathing entirely without producing the characteristic whoop. They are also at risk for pneumonia, seizures, and encephalopathy resulting from oxygen deprivation.
In 2015, an estimated 16.3 million people were infected worldwide and 58,700 deaths were recorded. Developing countries account for 90% of all cases and the disease remains a leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths.
Protection from the whooping cough vaccine lasts only three to six years after vaccination. This waning immunity leaves adolescents and adults susceptible to infection and capable of spreading the bacteria to vulnerable infants.