Whooping Cough on the Rise, Health Department Warns

Virginia’s Department of Health is urging residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of whooping cough, or pertussis, as spring break nears and family and friends convene.

“There has been a significant increase in pertussis in Virginia and most of the United States. From 2009 to 2010, there was a 72 percent increase in reported cases of pertussis in Virginia,” said State Health Commissioner Karen Remley. “Although pertussis traditionally occurs in cyclical peaks, the twofold increase in Virginia since 2007 is cause for concern.”

Babies too young to be vaccinated are especially at risk, according to William Moskowitz, president of the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and professor of pediatrics and medicine, chair of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at VCU Medical Center. “Many of those infants are being hospitalized with serious disease.”

Pertussis is highly contagious and most severe in children less than one year of age, who can suffer lung infections, seizures and in rare instances, death. Infants often catch the illness from family members and other caregivers.

To protect infants and others with certain medical conditions, everyone should make sure they are up to date with recommended pertussis vaccines; DTaP for infants and children and the Tdap booster for adolescents and adults, because protection from the childhood vaccine diminishes over time.

Pertussis symptoms may include a cough lasting more than two weeks that increases in severity or that occurs in fits or spasms, coughing fits accompanied by difficulty breathing, gagging or vomiting, or a cough that is followed by a whooping noise.

Pertussis can occur at any age, and symptoms in older children and adults may be a milder than those in children.

The health department recommends that anyone with pertussis symptoms should seek medical evaluation and avoid public or group settings. If a person is exposed to pertussis or develops symptoms, antibiotic treatment may help prevent the disease or shorten the length of time the illness can be spread.