Home > Infectious Disease > Whooping Cough Get the Flash Player to see this player. Rate: (Click the stars to rate) Published on Aug 20, 2009 by MDavis, Views: 4804 Michael Davis, MD, pediatrician, discusses whooping cough or pertussis in children. Whooping cough is a respiratory illness that causes a charecteristic whooping type of cough, and pneumonia. It is very contagious, but the available vaccine has decreased the number of cases. The treatment is with antibiotics.