The two health districts serving the Treasure Valley and surrounding areas have warned of a “sharp increase” in cases of pertussis, the highly contagious respiratory illness better known as whooping cough .
Central District Health and Southwest District Health said in a joint news release Thursday that the region has seen 171 cases of whooping cough so far this year. Last year, there were only 10. That’s more than a 1,600% increase, with about four months still left of 2024.
Most of the cases, 117 of them, have been reported in Ada County. Canyon County had 49.
Central District Health serves Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties. Southwest District Health serves Adams, Canyon, Gem, Owyhee, Payette and Washington counties. School recently started in all of those counties, which facilitates the spread.
“We are deeply concerned by the significant increase in pertussis cases across Southwest Idaho this year,” Southwest District Health epidemiologist Lekshmi Venugopal said. “The resurgence of cases following the reopening of schools underscores the need for continued vigilance.”
The news release said that while whooping cough may start out like a common cold, it can lead to prolonged illness and severe complications, particularly in infants and people with pre-existing health conditions.
The health districts said that 67% of pertussis cases this year have been in children younger than 19.
A vaccine can prevent whooping cough or make it much less severe, but Idaho infamously has the lowest vaccination rates for children in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the 2022-23 school year, Idaho’s vaccination rate for pertussis was just 81% , worst in the nation, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
What is pertussis, and how does it spread?
Pertussis is known as whooping cough because of the high-pitched “whoop” sounds made after a person inhales at the end of a coughing fit, according to the health districts. The coughing fits can last for weeks or even months and be rapid and uncontrollable, they said.
Other symptoms include a runny nose, congestion and fever. Pertussis also can cause difficulty breathing.
The respiratory illness is caused by a bacteria called bordetella pertussis that spreads easily from person to person, according to the CDC. When a person with pertussis sneezes or coughs, they release small particles with the bacteria in them, which other people can breathe in and become infected.
Infants are at the greatest risk of getting whooping cough and having severe complications from it, the CDC says. Adults and teens, even if vaccinated as children, are susceptible because the immunization wears off over time, but boosters are available.
Pertussis can be treated with antibiotics, and people with a known exposure to it can take antibiotics before they get sick to help prevent illness, the health districts said. Severe cases may require hospitalization.
How can I prevent whooping cough?
The CDC recommends two different kinds of vaccines: DTaP and Tdap. The immunizations can prevent becoming ill or severely ill.
DTaP is a series of five shots geared for children and babies between two months and 7 years old. Tdap is meant for anyone 7 years or older and usually given every 5-10 years as a booster. Both immunizations protect against pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria, according to the news release from the two health districts.
The vaccines protects 98% of children within the year following their last dose, they said. Immunity begins to wane after 4 or 5 years.
The health districts said pregnant people can get immunized to help protect their babies from the illness until they’re old enough to get it themselves.
Central District Health offers both vaccines by appointment at its Boise office at 707 N. Armstrong Place. Southwest District Health offers them at its Caldwell office at 13307 Miami.
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