Pertussis - Not just for kids

Six weeks ago, a 45-year-old woman noticed a scratchy feeling in her throat that has now progressed to more than 20 episodes of severe, spasmodic coughing per day. Her coughing spells are worse at night and are sometimes associated with gagging and vomiting. Her adolescent son and several of his friends, who received all of their childhood immunizations on schedule, had similar illnesses involving cough several weeks before the onset of her symptoms, and they continue to cough. How should the patient be assessed for possible pertussis? Should she be treated and, if so, how? Could this illness have been prevented?