Thread: Whooping cough makes comeback

Whooping cough makes comeback
Pertussis kills 1, strikes 8,000 in all 50 states, closes schools, colleges

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Posted: December 4, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern



© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


WASHINGTON – Cover your mouth when you cough.

Wash your hands frequently.

And don't knowingly expose yourself to those infected with an illness you may have thought was a thing of the past.

That's the advice from public health officials who report small outbreaks of whooping cough, or pertussis, in all 50 states – with some pockets resulting in school closings and even one infant death.

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta reports some 8,000 cases in the U.S. this season.

At Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., the campus has been shut down for an early Christmas break as a result of a major outbreak among students and staff. Some of the 30 infected with the bacterial disease at Bob Jones reportedly had been vaccinated against the illness as infants, suggesting those inoculations are not holding up after 20 years.

The fall semester officially ended prematurely – a full week before the scheduled date.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control said that it is working with the school to make sure all necessary precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of the disease.


"Because pertussis is so highly contagious, as a precautionary measure we have altered our schedule for the end of first semester and final exams to enable students to leave Dec. 7 rather than Dec. 13 as originally scheduled," said a statement from University spokesman Jonathan Pait. "We are encouraging our students to study diligently, take into consideration their health and the health of others, and immediately visit our health offices should they experience symptoms."

Whooping cough is an infection of the respiratory system, characterized by severe coughing spells that end in a "whooping" sound when the person breathes in.

The first symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a common cold:


Runny nose

Sneezing

Mild cough

Low-grade fever
The bacterial disease is highly contagious and can be treated with antibiotics. There is a vaccination against pertussis available for children 6 years old and younger.

Some have linked a resurgence in the disease since 2005 with illegal immigrants.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, officials in Sonoma County in California confirmed the death of an infant from whooping cough and issued a warning to pediatricians and schools.

While it is an illness that most adults can easily beat, newborn babies are especially at risk when it comes to whooping cough. Whooping cough is treatable with antibiotics, but if undiagnosed in an infant, it can be deadly. The baby who died was less than two months old. It was the first reported death this year from pertussis.

"There is this reservoir of this bacteria in the community; it resides in teenagers and adults, pregnant mothers and the like," explains Dr. Gary Greensweig, chief medical officer at Santa Rosa Hospital. "So when infants are exposed to it, what happens is they tend to get into trouble."

Some 20 other cases have been reported in the county.

Last month the Greenwood School District in Neillsville, Wis., also battled an outbreak, with 32 positive diagnoses of pertussis.

Officials there noted effective ways to avoid spreading the infection include covering your mouth and washing your hands frequently and thoroughly.

Health officials acknowledge the vaccine against pertussis is not 100 percent effective. And no one is quite certain how long it protects. In fact, it appears to last longer in some than others. Boosters are now being suggested for children as young as 11.

Whooping cough is a disease that affects the lungs. The pertussis bacteria is spread from person to person through the air on respiratory droplets and attaches itself to the hairs that line the respiratory tract, preventing them from working properly.

The Kutztown School District in Pennsylvania has been dealing with a dozen cases of the whooping cough this season.

Some 16 cases in Stanly County in North Carolina resulted in treatment for more than 2,000 people who had come in contact with the infected. Meanwhile, half a dozen cases have been reported among students in Selah, Washington, near Yakima.

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ILLEGAL ALIENS STRIKE AGAIN.