Ross County sees uptick in whooping cough

CHILLICOTHE - Local health officials are concerned there may be an outbreak of pertussis, better known as whooping cough.

As of Tuesday, there had been three confirmed cases, but the Ross County Health District expects additional cases will be identified in the coming days due to how easily the bacteria can spread.

"We’ve already alerted Adena and we’re working to alert physicians and urgent cares so that if a child does present with pertussis symptoms, they’ll realize what they’re looking at,” said Kathy Wakefield, director of public health nursing at the Ross County Health District.

Pertussis infects the respiratory system and is also referred to as whooping cough because of the “whooping” sound an infected person makes as they cough, sometimes in fits. Pertussis is preventable with a vaccine, and usually can be treated with antibiotics. Transmission to others occurs through coughing, as tiny particulates contaminate surfaces and the air others breathe.

“Whooping cough can be dangerous for everyone, but our biggest concern is for infants who are exposed but haven’t yet been vaccinated,” said Wakefield. “In some cases it can be life-threatening.”

There have been outbreaks in California and in 2010, an outbreak infected thousands and 10 infants died. The largest number of confirmed cases in Ross County over the last decade was 26 in 2009 followed by 16 in 2010. In 2015, there were six confirmed cases locally.

Wakefield said parents of infants, especially those with older siblings who may be in school or around groups of other children, should be attentive to close contact between their children and alert for changes in their infant’s health. Half of all infants less than one year of age who get pertussis require treatment in the hospital.

Initial symptoms of pertussis are cold-like and include:

• Runny nose
• Low-grade fever
• Mild, occasional cough
• Apnea – a pause in breathing (in babies)

As the disease progresses infected people experience coughing fits, sometimes vomiting, and difficulty in catching their breath. They also experience fatigue following the long bouts of coughing.

The health district is adding links and other information to its Facebook page. Additional information about pertussis can be found on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, www.cdc.gov/pertussis.