The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Health & Fitness

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough — or pertussis — is a very serious respiratory (in the lungs and breathing tubes) infection caused by the pertussis bacteria. It causes violent coughing you can’t stop. Whooping cough is most harmful for young babies and can be deadly. The DTAP vaccine protects against whooping cough.

Facts

  • Children and babies can cough very hard, over and over. When children gasp for breath after a coughing fit, they make a “whooping” sound. This sound is where the name “whooping cough” comes from. Babies may not make this sound.
  • Coughing fits make it hard to breathe, eat, drink or sleep.
  • Coughing fits happen more at night.
  • Babies and young children may turn blue while coughing from lack of oxygen.
  • Coughing fits can last for 10 weeks and sometimes recur with the next respiratory illness.

Symptoms

  • Runny or stuffed-up nose
  • Sneezing
  • Mild cough
  • A pause in breathing in infants (apnea)
  • After 1 to 2 weeks, coughing, which can be severe, starts.

October 27, 2012

Spike in pertussis cases is a cause for concern

By Robb Murray Free Press Staff Writer

By Robb Murray

rmurray@mankatofreepress.com

The good news is that the pertussis numbers in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties remain low.

The bad news is that the numbers are way up in the Twin Cities and a few outstate counties, and the disease is highly communicable.

“It kind of comes and goes,” said Brad Krier, a district epidemiologist with the state health department based in Mankato. “With communicable diseases, it can go from a low number to a high number very quickly.”

Just a few counties over, in fact, it has spread very quickly.

Freeborn County has 90 cases this year, part of the state’s huge increase that has health departments reminding people that, although we thought we had this one licked with vaccinations and public health initiatives back in the day, the fact is we don’t. And it’s not just Minnesota.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2007 to 2008 the nation reported 11,866 cases. From 2009 to 2010, that number has climbed to 22,204.

So far this year in Minnesota, the number of pertussis cases — more commonly known as whooping cough — is at 3,850. Last year, there were 611.

Kids who get the vaccine when they’re infants are protected, which is good.

Pertussis is hardest on the very young. Babies with pertussis, in fact, gave birth to the name “whooping cough.” When babies are in the throes of a violent coughing fit, they make a “whoop” sound.

The CDC said 80 percent of kids who contract pertussis get it from one of their parents, and that 63 percent of those kids end up in the hospital. The CDC said that when one person in the household gets pertussis, there’s more than a 90 percent chance that other susceptible household members also will get it.

And it’s not just kids who get it.

Adults are increasingly among the afflicted, which is why the CDC and the state Health Department are encouraging people to consider booster shots.

The vaccinations kids get when they’re young, the CDC says, can wear off. Booster shots called D-TAP are available from your doctor and can provide a barrier against pertussis.

The illness can spread rapidly.

In 2001 in Pine County, Ark., a member of a football team contracted pertussis, and by the time the spread was stemmed, 77 cases had occurred at that high school. More than 90 percent of those students, moreover, had been vaccinated.

In Freeborn County, the 90 cases they’re dealing with had a boost of sorts from the fact that an area sports team accounted for a good number of cases.

Krier said the best thing to do is to be aware of the symptoms, which include: runny or stuffed-up nose, sneezing, mild cough, a pause in breathing in infants (apnea,) and after a week or two severe coughing.

“Usually it’s worse at night,” he said. “If you’ve had a cough for over seven days, or you throw up after a coughing fit, go in and get it checked out.”

Krier said doctors will prescribe antibiotics for pertussis.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Health & Fitness
  • mfp Speaking of Health mug Fun in the sun reminds of skin cancer and sun protection Summer will soon be here which means it’s time for some fun in the sun. While enjoying those summer activities under the sun’s warmth, it’s important to protect your skin from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. The sun’s UV rays cause damage to the skin

    May 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • Why posture is important in your growing children Whenever I do an annual physical, I always spend some time looking at the child's back. Why? It's important to examine a child's spine to check for any irregularities or disease, such as scoliosis (curvature). I also check the skin around the child's

    May 19, 2013

  • Kids burned by instant soup cups

    On a typical June day last year, 3-year-old Jolan Jackson was sitting at the dining room table in his booster chair waiting for his meal.

    May 19, 2013

  • Many uses for epsom salt Epsom salt can be used to remove splinters. Soak the affected area in warm water and Epsom salt. The salt will help draw out the splinter so it's easier to remove. This is especially helpful for kids who get small splinters at the playground from mul

    May 19, 2013

  • Fjeldberg_Grace_A.jpg Speaking of Health: Digesting the details of celiac disease

    Health & Fitness coverage is supported by Mayo Clinic Health System, preserving the health and well-being of southern Minnesota communities.

    May 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • mfp-H&F NELSEN pic Inspiring story? There's an app for that MANKATO – Scott Nelsen recalls those days like a bad memory. Those days when he was gathered with his friends at the pub and the digital camera or smart phone comes out and someone wants to post a quick pic to Facebook. So people lean in to each othe

    May 12, 2013 1 Photo

  • Local cases part of hip device recall MANKATO — A local attorney says his firm has about 30 cases in the nationwide recall of the popular Stryker Rejuvenate hip replacement device. Jerry Maschka of the Maschka Riedy and Ries firm said they've been handling cases of people who have had pr

    May 12, 2013

  • Medical Edge: Regular exercise has powerful effect on brain health

    DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m 68 and understand that exercise is good for my health, but I recently read that exercise can also reduce the risk of developing dementia. Is that true, and if so, do researchers know why?

    May 11, 2013

  • Medical Edge: Forgetfulness not necessarily a sign of dementia

    DEAR MAYO CLINIC: As his caregiver, how can I tell if my father’s memory loss is just a natural part of aging, or if it’s the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease? At what point should I take him to be seen by a physician?

    April 27, 2013

  • file-school lunch 2.jpg Mankato school lunches a healthful work in progress

    At Mankato Area Public Schools, the idea of what lunch is remains a concept that is in flux.

    April 20, 2013 2 Photos