9. Pertussis
Also known as whooping cough, pertussis is a bacterial infection of the respiratory tract caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. As its name suggests, the telltale symptom of whooping cough is severe coughing.
Pertussis is particularly dangerous for babies, who can experience apnea, or pauses in breathing, as a result of the prolonged coughing fits brought about by the disease, according to the CDC. About 50 percent of infants who become sick with whooping cough need to be hospitalized, and 25 percent of those who are hospitalized develop lung infections, according to the CDC. Most people who died from whooping cough (87 percent) between 2000 and 2012 were babies less than 3 months old. The best way to prevent pertussis is to get vaccinated, according to the CDC. There are two vaccines for whooping cough, one for children younger than 7, called DTap, and one for older children, teens and adults, called Tdap.
10. Tetanus
The same vaccine that defends against pertussis (Tdap) can also protect you from tetanus, an infection caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. Once in the body, C. tetani produces a toxin that causes painful muscle contractions, according to the CDC. The neck and jaw are usually the first parts of the body affected by the disease, leading to tetanus’ other name, “lockjaw.”
The bacteria that cause tetanus enter through the skin but live in dirt or soil (as well as stuff lying around in the dirt, like rusty nails) and on the intestines of animals and people.