Thursday, March 28, 2024

Whooping cough on the rise

Whooping cough on the rise

PAGE, Ariz.

It is no longer a distant memory from the Great Depression, whooping cough has made a resurgence in Coconino County, public health officials reported Wednesday.

The Coconino County Public Health Services District has confirmed an increase in whooping cough, or pertussis known as the 100-day cough, in the county. Public health officials are reminding people of the importance of vaccinations for both children and adults.

Whooping cough is a potentially life-threatening childhood illness, which disappeared in the 1940s after a vaccine was developed.

A county agency spokesperson told the Navajo Times that there are four confirmed and three probable cases of the illness.

Early symptoms of the illness are mild and cold-like, according to the county agency. It induces strong, uncontrollable fits of coughing. This illness is most serious for infants, according to the county agency.

Symptoms can last for up to two months, and while an antibiotic is available to prevent the spread of the illness, it will not shorten the illness in the person already infected, according to the Center for Disease Control. And complications from the illness can include pneumonia, hernia, and physical lung damage.

Public health officials say immunization is extremely important for the prevention and control of whooping cough.

The county agency received reports of four cases of whooping cough in 2005. The patients and their families were on medications to keep the disease from spreading. The state of Arizona in 2004 had 79 cases.


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About The Author

Krista Allen

Krista Allen is editor of the Navajo Times.

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