Pertussis on rise in Utah

Cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, are increasing along the Wasatch Front. And although the bacterial infection can strike people of any age, it's especially dangerous for infants under 1 year old.

The Utah Department of Health and four local health departments report the number of cases in the Salt Lake, Davis, Utah and Weber-Morgan health districts have been higher than expected this August.

Instead of the 1-10 cases health officials typically see each month, in August there were 20, including five infants, four of whom were hospitalized, said Nicole Stone, an epidemiologist with the Utah Department of Health.

"We are concerned about the increase and the more serious cases that occur in infants under a year of age," she said. "People think whooping cough doesn't exist anymore. But it is still circulating. Parents need to check their vaccination records and make sure their children are on schedule."

Pertussis is vaccine-preventable, but the vaccine loses its effectiveness over time. However, there's no vaccine that's been approved for those 7 and older, so you can't just get a "booster" shot, she said.

On the other hand, it's not usually life-threatening except in the very, very young, although "the elderly are always at risk for complications of illness," she said. The tiny infants can develop encephalitis-like symptoms.

In August, pertussis hit patients from days old to age 73.

Pertussis is extremely contagious and easily infects nearly everyone in the household, as well as work or school contacts. The biggest risk is that an older sibling or adult will infect an infant. Children who have received some, but not all, of their vaccination for pertussis are not fully protected from the bacteria.

It starts out with cold-like symptoms, but not fever, Stone said. The real marker is a very bad cough, even to the point of making the individual vomit. That cough often has a whooping sound, hence the nickname. It may cause infants to stop breathing as they sleep, a form of sleep apnea. And in all ages, it often takes weeks and weeks for the cough to go away, even after it's no longer contagious.

There's no vaccine for older pertussis sufferers, but people who have been coughing a while should consult a physician.

Because it's bacterial, use of antibiotics is appropriate. Given early, they can impact how infectious the illness is. But antibiotics won't make the cough go away. Many people find they simply have to live through it — and avoid giving it to anyone else.

Pertussis is covered by the DTaP vaccine. The recommended schedule for DTaP is at 2, 4, 6 and between 15 and 18 months, then again before entering grade school.

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E-mail: lois@desnews.com