Whooping cough cases are significantly on the rise ahead of the respiratory infections season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
The current resurgence has brought over 15,000 whooping cough cases nationally, which is five times the number of cases we had at this time last year, according to the CDC. By mid-August, the state of New Jersey reported 128 cases of whooping cough.
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection also known as pertussis. Its symptoms are similar to those of a common cold, and it is typically prevented with the DPT vaccine, a combination shot that includes immunization against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus.
According to health officials, a decrease in vaccination rates against pertussis is one of the reasons for this current outbreak.
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Before the pandemic, around 80% of children under the age of 2 were vaccinated against pertussis, as per the CDC. That is 4% below the global percentage of infants that have received the the three doses of the DPT vaccine, according to the World Health Organization.
The resurgence across the U.S. is particularly acute in neighboring Pennsylvania, which has reported around 2,008 cases this year — 10 times the number from the same period last year and the highest of any state or territory, according to federal data.
Initially, whooping cough can resemble other respiratory illnesses, presenting symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose, fever and a mild cough. After about a week or two, symptoms can escalate to difficulty breathing and severe coughing, often characterized by a distinctive high-pitched "whoop" sound during inhalation.
Severe cases can result in hospitalization, pneumonia, sleep apnea and brain swelling, with approximately 1 in 100 individuals succumbing to complications, according to the CDC.
Whooping cough can be treated effectively with antibiotics, which also stops the bacteria from spreading.
Whooping cough cases are on the rise. Here's what you need to know.
A course of antibiotics may also be recommended for household members not infected as a preventive measure.
Infants and young children are at the highest risk for severe illness, while seniors and adults with weakened immune systems or chronic conditions like asthma are also susceptible to complications.
In a September health advisory issued by Pennsylvania Department of Health, officials reported an increase in hospitalizations among older adults due to whooping cough this year. They indicated that factors such as waning vaccine effectiveness and delayed recognition and testing by health care providers may be contributing to more severe cases and hospitalizations.
Due to the waning effectiveness of vaccines, the has been whooping cough cases among those vaccinated as well, Bloomberg reported .
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While antibiotics can effectively treat the infection and should be started promptly, they can reduce coughing but may not eliminate it, which can persist for weeks or even months. The CDC recommends vaccination as the most effective means of protection against whooping cough.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Whooping cough outbreak five times worse than last year as vaccination rate drops
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