Health commissioner warns of whooping cough outbreak in 2012
Holmes County could be on the brink of a serious outbreak of pertussis, health commissioner Dr. D.J. McFadden said Friday, Jan. 20.
So far this year, health district officials have identified four cases of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough. Whooping cough is a contagious disease that can lead to sickness in adults and death in children.
McFadden said the number is worrisome because of low vaccination rates in the county. Also, many adults who catch pertussis do not realize they have the disease, writing it off as a winter cough. They do not take the steps necessary to prevent passing the disease onto children and others.
“As an adult, you might get (pertussis) and think its seasonal, it’s going to be around a long time,” McFadden said. “For children, it’s a much more serious cough.”
The last outbreak of pertussis in the county was 2009, when eight individuals were hospitalized. A total of 75 cases were identified.
Pertussis seems to follow a three year cycle, McFadden said, and he is concerned the four cases may be “the tip of the iceberg” going into 2012.
“I entirely expect that if we are unsuccessful in our attempts to aggressively contain this outbreak, we will see a similar experience as in 2009 with a few exceptions,” McFadden, writing in a Jan. 20 email, said. “I believe that given the increased resistance to prophylaxis and treatment this year, the number of cases could surpass those in 2009 and I anticipate that because we have many folks having had exposure three years ago, we will have a younger group of kids ill this time around (more that are younger than 3). My concern is that the younger the case, the greater the potential for respiratory failure and death.”
A total of three cases were identified the week of Jan. 15. The cases included a 2-year-old Fredericksburg girl, a 7-year-old girl in the Baltic/Charm area and an 8-year-old boy, also in the Baltic/Charm area.
In all but one of the three cases, the families of the children denied treatment and prophylaxis. Information on a case involving a 29-month-old girl in the Benton/Fryburg area is still being gathered.
Prophylaxis is post-exposure treatment that can help reduce further exposure risks.
In 2011, four cases of pertussis were identified.
The symptoms begin with a runny nose, sneezing, low grade fever and cough. After 1-2 weeks, it can progress to a stage where there are bursts of rapid coughs. In recovery, one may cough for weeks to months. Complications of this disease include pneumonia, rib fracture, and subconjunctival hemorrhage. Infants are at highest risk of apnea, pneumonia, seizures, encephalopathy, and death.
The disease is preventable through vaccination and treatable through antibiotics. Individuals who have been diagnosed with pertussis should not be in public infecting other people until they have completed a course of antibiotics. Family members of infected people should receive a course of antibiotics to prevent disease, regardless of vaccine status. Family members who do not want to take antibiotics should be quarantined at home for three weeks, so that they do not infect others when they are early in the disease.
So far this year, health district officials have identified four cases of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough. Whooping cough is a contagious disease that can lead to sickness in adults and death in children.
McFadden said the number is worrisome because of low vaccination rates in the county. Also, many adults who catch pertussis do not realize they have the disease, writing it off as a winter cough. They do not take the steps necessary to prevent passing the disease onto children and others.
“As an adult, you might get (pertussis) and think its seasonal, it’s going to be around a long time,” McFadden said. “For children, it’s a much more serious cough.”
The last outbreak of pertussis in the county was 2009, when eight individuals were hospitalized. A total of 75 cases were identified.
Pertussis seems to follow a three year cycle, McFadden said, and he is concerned the four cases may be “the tip of the iceberg” going into 2012.
“I entirely expect that if we are unsuccessful in our attempts to aggressively contain this outbreak, we will see a similar experience as in 2009 with a few exceptions,” McFadden, writing in a Jan. 20 email, said. “I believe that given the increased resistance to prophylaxis and treatment this year, the number of cases could surpass those in 2009 and I anticipate that because we have many folks having had exposure three years ago, we will have a younger group of kids ill this time around (more that are younger than 3). My concern is that the younger the case, the greater the potential for respiratory failure and death.”
A total of three cases were identified the week of Jan. 15. The cases included a 2-year-old Fredericksburg girl, a 7-year-old girl in the Baltic/Charm area and an 8-year-old boy, also in the Baltic/Charm area.
In all but one of the three cases, the families of the children denied treatment and prophylaxis. Information on a case involving a 29-month-old girl in the Benton/Fryburg area is still being gathered.
Prophylaxis is post-exposure treatment that can help reduce further exposure risks.
In 2011, four cases of pertussis were identified.
The symptoms begin with a runny nose, sneezing, low grade fever and cough. After 1-2 weeks, it can progress to a stage where there are bursts of rapid coughs. In recovery, one may cough for weeks to months. Complications of this disease include pneumonia, rib fracture, and subconjunctival hemorrhage. Infants are at highest risk of apnea, pneumonia, seizures, encephalopathy, and death.
The disease is preventable through vaccination and treatable through antibiotics. Individuals who have been diagnosed with pertussis should not be in public infecting other people until they have completed a course of antibiotics. Family members of infected people should receive a course of antibiotics to prevent disease, regardless of vaccine status. Family members who do not want to take antibiotics should be quarantined at home for three weeks, so that they do not infect others when they are early in the disease.
Published: January 20, 2012
