If the subject has never come up before, there is significant risk that your child, now a teenager, will not be receptive to this message. Read our tips for parents about sex education and our guide to age-appropriate sex education.
Putrid throat: a historic term for a severely inflamed throat, with tissue destruction, and fetid odor, often due to strep throat (streptococcal pharyngitis) or diphtheria. REFERENCE: Kasper, D., et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine..
On this Page. Causes. Pertussis, a respiratory illness commonly known as whooping cough, is a very contagious disease caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. These bacteria attach to the cilia (tiny, hair-like extensions) that line part of the upper respiratory system.