Jasper County reports 18 cases of whooping cough so far in 2012

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September 14, 2012

Jasper County reports 18 cases of whooping cough so far in 2012

By Wally Kennedy news@joplinglobe.com The Joplin Globe Fri Sep 14, 2012, 08:44 PM CDT

With the creation of an effective vaccine, whooping cough became a mostly preventable disease. But changes in the vaccine in the early 1990s may now be what’s behind this year’s significant increase in cases nationwide.

With 26,000 cases in 2012 so far, the final number is expected to be the highest since 1959. Whooping cough was once a common disease, causing hundreds of thousands of illnesses and thousands of deaths annually. Cases dropped after a vaccine was introduced in the 1940s. For decades, fewer than 5,000 cases a year were reported in the United States.

In the past, Jasper County has seen a case or two over the course of a year in people who had not been vaccinated. The county has had 18 cases this year as of Sept. 4.

“There’s been a significant rise nationwide in whooping cough; Missouri is not exempt from that,’’ said Dan Pekarek, director of the Joplin Health Department. “Some of these cases have been in people who were previously vaccinated.

“The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is looking at whether some of this has to do with efficacy of the vaccine waning over time,’’ he said.

Seven of the 18 cases of whooping cough that have occurred in the county have been in Joplin. There have been 555 reported cases in Missouri so far this year.

“We are recommending that if you were vaccinated years ago and are now taking care of infants that you talk to your medical provider about getting a booster,’’ Pekarek said. “The greatest risk is to infants, who can experience deep respiratory congestion and illness. It becomes difficult for them to cough and deal with it.’’

Treatment of the disease requires hospitalization about half the time in cases involving infants, a health official said.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria. People with pertussis usually spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria. Many infants who get pertussis are infected by older siblings, parents or caregivers who might not know they have the disease.

Symptoms usually develop within seven to 10 days after exposure. The illness begins with mild upper-respiratory tract symptoms and progresses to a cough. Fever is absent or minimal. Whooping cough can strike people of any age. Its name comes from the sound youngsters make as they gasp for breath.

Vaccination, even though it might not be as effective as it once was, still remains the best defense against pertussis. It is highly recommended that vaccinations are up-to-date and that all household members, including grandparents and caregivers to children under the age of 1, receive a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccination.

If you are experiencing symptoms compatible with pertussis, health officials urge you to stay home to avoid spreading the disease to others unless you are going to seek medical care.

For more info

For additional information about pertussis, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/index.html.1.

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Jasper County reports 18 cases of whooping cough so far in 2012

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