Final answer:
Pertussis is a communicable bacterial disease transmitted by airborne droplets, characterized by severe coughing. It requires early intervention with antibiotics and is preventable through vaccination with DTaP or Tdap.
Step-by-step explanation:
A public health nurse should inform nurses at a community health department that pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly communicable bacterial infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. The disease is characterized by severe coughing fits that can lead to a distinctive "whoop" sound, especially prominent in infants and children. Transmission typically occurs through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Pertussis is not self-limiting and can be serious; it often requires antibiotics, although they are most effective in the earliest stages of the disease. Active vaccination with the DTaP or Tdap vaccine is the best means of controlling and preventing the spread of pertussis.