How does whooping cough / pertussis enter your body and what does it do to you?

Pertussis: Pertussis is extremely contagious and when a person inhales aerosol droplets in the air from a cough/sneeze at close range from an infected person, the chance of infection is high. This bacteria colonize the cells lining the airways and attaches to the cilia (small projections) and there is release of pertussis toxin and tracheal toxin damaging the airway leading to most of the symptoms.