1. Provide a description for whooping cough. Include symptoms, mechanism, duration, and recovery in your description.
  2. Discuss and evaluate methods used to identifyBordetella pertussis. Which method is considered confirmatory? What are the downfalls of culture and PCR?
  3. What is an antibiotic? Which classes work best forBordetella pertussis?
  4. What are the pathogenic mechanisms of Bordetella pertussis?What virulence factors does it have?
  5. What is a vaccine?
  6. Compare cellular and acellular vaccines used in the treatment of Bordetella pertussis.
  7. What are some of the reasons parents may refuse to have their children immunized against pertussis?
  8. What are some consequences of diminished vaccination to Bordetella pertussis?What impact does vaccination have on herd immunity?
  9. Referring to the CDC statistics found in the graph in Figure 1, as well as the research-supported information provided in this case study, provide reasons as to why there is a resurgence of whooping cough.
  10. Do you think vaccines should be mandated by law? (There are no wrong answers here and you can abstain from answering if you choose.)