ProMED-mail |

Published Date: 2012-03-10 19:39:50
Subject: PRO/EDR> Pertussis - USA (02)
Archive Number: 20120310.1066817

PERTUSSIS - USA (02)
********************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

[1] Illinois (McHenry county)
Date: Wed 7 Mar 2012
Source: WLS-TV [edited]
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/illinois&id=8572713

313 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in McHenry County since an outbreak began in August 2011. Health officials say 156 cases involved children aged 10 and younger.

A pair of 2 month old infants were hospitalized but have recovered.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>

******
[2] Wisconsin (Chippewa county)
Date: Sat 10 Mar 2012
Source: Chippewa Herald [edited]
http://chippewa.com/news/local/whooping-cough-confirmed-at-southview/article_ce7f8cbc-6a61-11e1-9be9-0019bb2963f4.html

A student at Southview Elementary is the county’s latest confirmed case of whooping cough. The Chippewa County Department of Public Health confirmed to school district parents and employees on Wednesday, 7 Mar 2012, that the student was infected with the pertussis bacterium, more commonly known as whooping cough.

Neither school district staff nor county public health director Jean Durch would disclose the age or grade level of the infected student, citing the confidentiality of a single case. Durch said this is the 5th case of whooping cough the county has recorded since the beginning of 2012.

"A majority of those cases have links to Eau Claire," Durch said, citing students open enrolling for Eau Claire schools.

But increased whooping cough cases aren’t limited to this region. Durch said the state’s reported cases of whooping coughs have been at their highest levels since 2004.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

******
[3] New York (Suffolk county)
Date: Fri 9 Mar 2012
Source: Commack Patch [edited]
http://commack.patch.com/articles/commack-district-reports-fifth-whooping-cough-case

A 5th person within the Commack School District has been diagnosed with pertussis, also known as whooping cough, superintendent Donald James confirmed in a statement on the district website. The individual is from Indian Hollow Primary, and will return to school once they are treated, James said. In Feb 2012, it was announced an individual at Burr Intermediate had been diagnosed.

In January, a person from Sawmill Intermediate was diagnosed with the disease. The 1st case was confirmed at Commack High School in December. Though only 5 cases have been confirmed so far, James noted the disease is highly contagious and may spread.

"Pertussis is highly contagious. Therefore, it is possible that subsequent cases will be diagnosed," James said.

[byline: Kaitlyn Piccoli]

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

******
[4] Washington (Clark county)
Date: Fri 9 Mar 2012
Source: KBND [edited]
http://www.kbnd.com/page.php?page_id=60248&article_id=11966

Health officials say pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has become widespread in Clark County, Washington. Officials say 18 cases have been recorded throughout the county since January 2012, but there could be quite a few more cases that haven't been reported. The County Public Health Department says at least 5 school districts have confirmed cases of whooping cough. The Health Department recommends vaccinations as one of the best ways to avoid contracting pertussis.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Recommendations on the use of acellular pertussis vaccines in the USA continue to expand in efforts of continue to cocoon susceptible neonates to prevent the substantial morbidity and mortality in infants who have not been yet adequately immunized. The use of the vaccine in pregnant women further expands these recommendations.

The increasing susceptibility in older children and adults to pertussis usually manifesting as chronic cough without the typical "whoop" after appropriate primary immunization continues to be increasingly reported. Waning immunity is generally thought to be the cause of the problem but other issues may be at work.

From the moderator LL's comments in a prior ProMED post Pertussis - USA: (MN) 20100514.1573:

"Cases of pertussis in previously vaccinated older children and adults are generally attributed to waning immunity without considering potential differences in _Bordetella pertussis_ strains. As pointed out in 2009 by Dr Frits Mooi (ProMED-mail Pertussis - Australia (02): (SA) 20091108.3876): There are now many studies which show that outbreaks of pertussis are often associated with changes in the _B. pertussis_ population. Most recently, we have shown that more virulent (P3) strains have appeared which we believe to be (partly) responsible for the outbreak in the Netherlands. The P3 strains have emerged worldwide. Any discussion on the causes of sudden upsurges in infectious diseases should include changes in the pathogen population. This is even true for pertussis.

Reference
---------
Mooi FR, van Loo IHM, van Gent M, et al. _Bordetella pertussis_ strains with increased toxin production associated with pertussis resurgence. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 Aug; 15(8): 1206-13. The full paper is available at http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/15/8/1206.htm." - Mod.LL

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1hiS.]

See Also