Connecticut is having its worst whooping cough outbreak in years. What you should know

Have a lingering cough that makes you gasp for air? You may want to ask your doctor about whooping cough, a respiratory illness spreading throughout Connecticut.

Since January of this year, the state has recorded 111 cases of whooping cough, a startling ten times more than the 11 cases recorded in 2023.

With the school year right around the corner, Connecticut health officials are encouraging vaccination, particularly for children heading back to school.

Here's what to know.

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a respiratory illness caused by the bacteria bordetella pertussis, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CDPH). Whooping cough spreads through droplets in the air, making it highly contagious. Those with whooping cough remain contagious to others for about 21 days.

Usually, the illness presents more mildly in adults than in children. It poses the greatest danger to infants, who suffer from apnea, or life-threatening pauses in breath, rather than the typical cough.

Symptoms of whooping cough

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that early symptoms present like a common cold, including stuffy nose, fever and cough.

After one or two weeks, people may experience paroxysms, or coughing fits. These violent fits can lead to lack of sleep, vomiting, exhaustion and difficulty breathing. The illness gets its name from the high-pitched "whoop" sound often made after a coughing fit.

Whooping cough can also lead to complications such as pneumonia, ear infection, loss of appetite, seizures and dehydration.

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How to prevent and treat whooping cough

The CDC recommends that everyone gets the whooping cough vaccine, especially children, teenagers and pregnant people. While the vaccine may not entirely protect from the illness, it does make the symptoms less severe.

If you do get whooping cough, it is treatable with antibiotics. The CDPH recommends that the antibiotics are given to all close contacts of the patient to minimize the spread of the illness. Treating the symptoms early helps.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Connecticut is having its worst whooping cough outbreak in years. What you should know