OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.whiznews.com/article.php?articleId=25642

Whooping Cough Tops 60

Thu, Apr 23, 2009. 05:14 PM
By: Audry Kensicki

More than 60 cases of whooping cough have hit Muskingum County, so many that the Zanesville Muskingum County Health Department is calling it an epidemic.

They say the illness, also known as pertussis, has hit every public school district in the county.

Medical director at the health department Vicki Whitacre says they know why it seems to be hitting more 10 and 11 year olds than any other age group.

"We know that the reasoning this is happening is because the immunizations that they receive in kindergarten are starting to wear off," said Whitacre. "All of the parents of children we've talked to have had their immunizations except one."

Doctor Whitacre calls it "herd immunity." she says when everyone in the herd or group of people are immunized, there is no chance for the disease to get started. But when immunizations wear off, it can be spread around the group.

"Another county just two over about three to four years ago had an epidemic similar to this," she said. "It does seem to come in cycles of every three to four years. We were just the lucky county to have the problem this year. "

Doctor Whitacre says its vital for anyone, young or old, to receive the antibiotic if they have been exposed to the cough.

Children who have been diagnosed with the illness will have their own natural immunity for four to five years.

Babies also need to get their immunizations, they aren't safe from it until their booster shot at 15 months.

Adults and children can get immunizations from the health department.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/lifestyles...s_warn_against_whooping_cough_outbreak/15127/

Officials Warn Against Whooping Cough Outbreak
The Columbus Health Department wants to help you protect yourself and loved ones against pertussis?known as the whooping cough.

By Denise Yost
Managing Editor, nbc4i.com
Published: April 24, 2009

CENTRAL OHIO?The Columbus Health Department wants to help you protect yourself and loved ones against pertussis?known as the whooping cough.

Health officials said pertussis is a serious bacterial infection, but that it can be prevented.

In Muskingum County, there are 63 cases of whooping cough.

The outbreak is happening in schools among 10- and 11-year-old students and officials said the number of cases continues to grow.

Central Ohio had a similar outbreak in Worthington a few years ago.

Dr. Teresa Long said parents need to check with their child?s doctor to make sure they?ve received the booster shot for pertussis.

The disease is spread when people cough or sneeze, making it very contagious.

Long said children may suffer from coughing spells for two to three weeks, making it difficult for them to eat, drink or breathe.

Doctors also said children develop a thick, glue-like mucus in their windpipe.

Symptoms for allergies include sneezing, runny eyes and nose and sometimes coughing.

If you think your child suffers from either pertussis or allergies, they should visit their doctor.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.whiznews.com/article.php?articleId=25674

Local Whooping Cough Cases Up to 97
Mon, Apr 27, 2009. 05:17 PM

By: Emily Baird
While swine flu may be on the minds of many of us, local health officials are turning their attention to another illness. That's because there's a growing number of people testing positive for whooping cough in our area. Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department Medical Director, Doctor Vicki Whitacre, says as of this morning, 97 whooping cough cases have been reported.

Whitacre says most of the cases involve children around the age of 10, but the reason they are contracting whooping cough may surprise you.

"Most of the children that have the positive test right now have had their shots. We just believe that it's wearing off. Now, never are shots 100% either in effectiveness. We do have one three-year-old child who was positive. He has had all his shots and is up-to-date, " says Whitacre.

Whitacre says you can't really tell when the vaccination begins to wear off, but as children enter their teenage years, she says they need to get a booster shot.

"We are certainly seeing a lot of people for their immunizations, and we will be making every effort to have enough on hand, " says Whitacre.

Whitacre says she hasn't heard of any shortages of the vaccine, but she does say that if there were to be one, it can be ordered and should arrive within a few days.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4576611

Kids stay home after whooping cough confirmed
By CHRISTINE L. PRATT

Staff Writer

MILLERSBURG -- Following confirmation of a positive case of whooping cough, several students at Mount Hope Elementary School have been ordered to stay home until May 11.

Parents were notified via letter on Tuesday of the case, in which the younger sibling of a kindergarten student, who also was symptomatic, tested positive for whooping cough, said Holmes County Health Commissioner Dr. D.J. McFadden.

Of the school's 146 students, 41 have not been vaccinated or are undervaccinated for pertussis, and, starting today, will be excluded from school to help prevent spread of the disease, McFadden said, noting the diagnosis bring the number of confirmed cases in the county up to nine.

While occurrences of pertussis are "still fairly sporadic," seen in family clusters, McFadden said he expects to see a link emerge between people who have been infected, although the task has been complicated by the complex social circles in which families associate and it is possible for more than one link to exist.

East Holmes District policy requires parents of children not vaccinated for religious or philosophical reasons to sign a waiver of understanding the children are subject to exclusion from school for the duration of an outbreak of any vaccine-preventable disease.

Parents of excluded children are advised to seek medical treatment for any symptom, and should keep symptomatic children out of public places.

Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable bacterial infection that starts with cold-like symptoms -- cough and runny nose -- that worsen over several weeks. The illness can advance to include spasmodic episodes of coughing that can be so prolonged they prevent regular inhalations, prompting periodic deep breaths, known as "whoops."

It is most serious in children under 1 year, in which there is a remote chance of mortality, and tends to run its course in older children and adults.

McFadden urges anyone, who is not medically prohibited, to get vaccinated.

Reporter Christine L. Pratt can be reached at 330-674-1811 or e-mail cpratt@the-daily-record.com.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/article/20090429/UPDATES01/90429020

Whooping cough cases rise
By BRIAN GADD ? Staff Writer ? April 29, 2009


ZANESVILLE ? Another 20 or so positive tests in the past few days has the local whooping cough tally at 121, according to the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department.

But Epidemiologist Bob Brems said the number is likely to start trending down over the next week or so, as pediatricians in the area have been able to catch many if not all symptomatic cases.

Six school districts ? East Muskingum, Franklin Local, Tri-Valley, West Muskingum, Maysville and Zanesville City ? have sent letters home to parents of children whose classmates have tested positive.

Swabs from local physicians are collected at Children?s Hospital?s local Child Lab site, Genesis Healthcare, and then tested.

Last Friday?s count stood at 97, but Children?s Hospital has the capability of entering the data into a statewide healthcare system as soon as positive results are confirmed, Brems said. The next such update should come early next week.

bgadd@nncogannett.com
740-450-6752

 

[Legadillo]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Shiloh, it seems that there is a epidemic of whooping cough. I keep an eye on it because my daughter almost died of it at two months old when I lived in the Netherlands (in 2000). WHat's your take on some of the cases being misdiagnosed and it being swin flu? Also, is their a relationship between flu and whooping cough that you know of, ie; flu can exacerbate or accompany flu?

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20090430/UPDATES01/90430015/-1/newsfront2

Two cases of whooping cough confirmed in county
NewarkAdvocate.com staff reports ? April 30, 2009

NEWARK ? Two cases of whooping cough have been confirmed among Licking County school children.

At least one of the cases may have been spread from Muskingum County, said Licking County Health Commissioner Joe Ebel.

According to the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department?s Web site, 121 cases have been confirmed. Only two of those cases were adults, and the remainder were school children or kids too young for school.

Ebel said the department has not seen a similar outbreak in Licking County.

Parents are urged to talk with their physician if their child has a persistent cough. Symptoms of pertussis may be similar to cases of swine flu, so it is important to determine the proper cause.

According to a press release from the Licking County Health Department, Bordetella Pertussis starts with symptoms resembling the common cold such as runny nose, sneezing, a mild cough and a low-grade fever. Eventually, the cough becomes more severe. In very young children, the cough may become so prolonged that the child seems to gasp for a breath, and a high-pitched sound called a whoop can be heard.

The child may turn red or blue from the prolonged cough and lack of oxygen; once the mucus is dislodged, vomiting may follow.

Ebel said most children receive the DTaP vaccine to prevent pertussis, but it is important to keep the immunization up to date. A new vaccine, Tdap, is recommended for children 10 years old and older and parents with infants.

For more information, call the Licking County Health Department at (740) 349-6535.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4580565

Whooping cough cases diagnosed in West Holmes Middle School
By CHRISTINE L. PRATT

Staff Writer

MILLERSBURG -- Following confirmation of two more cases of whooping cough, several students at West Holmes Middle School and Lakeville Elementary School have been ordered to stay home from school until May 13.

Parents were notified by phone over the weekend of the cases involving a 13-year-old girl and a third-grade boy who live in the same home, said epidemiologist Vaughn Anderson of the Holmes County Health Department.

Both children had been vaccinated for pertussis, said Anderson, noting while vaccination is a tool in preventing the disease, it offers no guarantee a person will not become infected. But, the symptoms typically are not as serious as those experienced by someone who is either under or unvaccinated.

The Middle School children, he said, likely would not have been diagnosed were it not for recent heightened awareness of whooping cough.

He said he believes the disease is more prevalent in the community than is known because adult cases are unreported or misdiagnosed. Because studies indicate 80 percent of household members exposed to pertussis will contract the disease, the health department encourages booster shots for children over age 11.

Diagnosis of the two cases of whooping cough mean two Lakeville students and 10 middle school students will be prohibited from attending school throughout the incubation period, in accordance with school policy, said Tom Eastep, director of nursing service for West Holmes.

"They're the only two confirmed cases we have," Eastep said. "But it is concerning it is now in western part of the county. Hopefully we catch it early enough."

"We're still preaching hand washing, covering coughs and staying home when you're sick ... that's the biggest thing," Eastep said.

Parents of excluded children are advised to be on alert and seek medical treatment for any symptom of the disease, and should keep symptomatic children out of public places.

Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable bacterial infection that starts with cold-like symptoms -- cough and runny nose -- that worsen over several weeks. The illness can advance to include spasmodic episodes of coughing that can be so prolonged they prevent regular inhalations, prompting periodic deep breaths, known as "whoops."

Because it can be prevented, health officials urge anyone who is not otherwise medically prohibited from doing so, to get vaccinated.

Reporter Christine L. Pratt can be reached at 330-674-1811 or e-mail cpratt@the-daily-record.com.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.thebudgetnewspaper.com/Article.php?ItemID=930

Whooping cough still rattling East Holmes
By Beverly Keller

Local Edition Editor

On the heels of yet another case of whooping cough in Holmes County, unvaccinated students at Mount Hope Elementary School have been ordered to stay home until next Monday, May 11.
The case was officially confirmed last week and parents were informed via a letter that was sent home with students. A younger sibling of a kindergarten student at Mt. Hope was confirmed as having the disease. The positive case marks the ninth in Holmes County since January. Two more were reported on Monday, bringing the total to 11.
Of the school?s total enrollment of 146 students, 41 have been excluded from school due to being unvaccinated or undervaccinated for pertussis (whooping cough).
East Holmes District policy requires parents of children not vaccinated for religious or philosophical reasons to sign a waiver of understanding that the children are subject to exclusion from school for the duration of an outbreak of any vaccine-preventable disease.
Pertussis is a bacterial infection. It starts with cold-like symptoms -- cough and runny nose -- that worsen over several weeks. The illness can advance to include episodes of coughing that make breathing very difficult. It is sometimes fatal.
Parents of excluded children are encouraged to seek medical treatment for any symptom they observe in their child.
Holmes County Health Commissioner Dr. D.J. McFadden, who issued the letter to parents at Mount Hope, urged those who have not been vaccinated but are able to be, to do so immediately.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.10tv.com/live/content/onnnews/stories/2009/05/12/whooping_cough.html?sid=102

County Dealing With Whooping Cough Outbreak
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 6:36 PM
By Denise Alex

ZANESVILLE, Ohio ? Nurse Becky Reed of Muskingum County thought she'd seen it all.

"In my whole years of nursing which has been since 1969, I've never seen whooping cough in our area," she said.

But Whooping Cough (or Pertussis) recently made its way to the region and strengthened over the past few weeks.

The Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department reported 7 cases of Whooping Cough April 15th. Each week since then, the numbers have increased. To date there have been 175 cases, reported ONN's Denise Alex.

At Nashport Elementary school, Reed immunizes teachers, staff, bus drivers and cooks.

Kids and adults are coming down with the cough. Symptoms of the bacteria-causing ailment include runny nose, croupy like cough, fever, sore throat, head congestion and sometimes ear aches.

Treatment includes five days of antibiotics, which means five days kids can't come to school.

"The illness is spread just the same way, person to person contact and not covering your cough. Those types of things so the way it's transmitted is identical to H1N1 flu," said Epidemiologist Bob Brems.

Brems is with the county health department and said washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to prevent whooping cough from spreading.

Staying on top of your vaccinations is another.

Just ask Reed, who reported the latest case in Adamsville, just as the ONN crews left Tuesday afternoon.
.
"Just when you thought it would level off. I should have known," said Reed, as she continued to administer shots at Nashport Elementary.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.whiznews.com/article.php?articleId=26032

Whooping Cough Cases Dwindling
Tue, Jun 02, 2009. 04:25 PM

The number of whooping cough cases in Muskingum County stands at 195, but they are beginning to dwindle.

"We've only had four or five reported in the last two weeks, which is good, " says Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department Epidemiologist, Bob Brems.

Brems says there's no reason why this many cases cropped up this year. In fact, he says there were only two reported cases of whooping cough last year. Brems says it all depends on who gets exposed to the disease and who is susceptible, and he says summer vacation may help tame the disease.

"I'm certainly hopeful that we will dwindle to hopefully none reported in a month's time. By school being out, that also actually helps from a transmission standpoint because you don't have the close quarters that you get in a school classroom, " says Brems.


For information on how to prevent contracting whooping cough, contact the Health Department at 740-45..., or visit its website at http://www.zmchd.org

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://timesbulletin.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=154987

10/13/2009 5:00:00 AM
Confirmed cases of Whooping Cough in Van Wert County: A new resurgence of an old disease
Jennifer Hohman, MD, Pediatrician

In the past couple of weeks there have been multiple cases of laboratory confirmed whooping cough in Van Wert County. Whooping cough is a respiratory illness caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. It is spread very easily from person to person through respiratory secretions, primarily coughing and sneezing. The illness typically starts out with a mild cough and runny nose. It can progress on to a severe cough that can last for several weeks or even months. Adults and teens infected with whooping cough can have mild or even no symptoms and can spread it to young babies and people who have not been vaccinated.

Vaccines to prevent whooping cough were developed in the 1940's and effectively reduced the number of cases by more than 80%. Since the 1980's, however, the number of whooping cough cases has steadily increased with over 25,000 cases in US in 2005. Infants typically receive the whooping cough vaccine beginning at age 2 months as part of the DTaP vaccine. The DTaP vaccine also protects against diphtheria (D) and tetanus (T). The final dose of DTaP is given at 4-6 years of age.

Unfortunately, DTaP does not offer lifelong protection against pertussis. Most people become susceptible to pertussis within 5 to 10 years after their last dose of vaccine. Even those who have had whooping cough are only protected for 7 years before their immunity begins to drop. This means that most teenagers and adults are susceptible to whooping cough.

Whooping cough can be especially severe in infants less than 12 months of age. Most infants who are diagnosed with whooping cough acquired it from a family member who did not know they were infected. In infants less than 2 months of age who develop whooping cough, 1% die from the infection.

Six children have died of whooping cough in Ohio since 2001, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Five out of the six fatalities were infants less than 12 months of age. Three of these were too young to have received any vaccinations. The final death was a 10-year-old child who had not received any immunizations.

There was a major breakthrough in the prevention of whooping cough in 2005 when two vaccines (Boostrix and Adacel or Tdap for short) were licensed in the US. They were deemed safe and effective against pertussis in adolescents and adults.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) recommends that all persons between the ages of 11 and 64 years receive a single Tdap vaccine. This can be given at 11-12 years of age, when a tetanus booster is typically given. Older adolescents and adults should receive a Tdap vaccine if it has been more than 2-5 years since their last tetanus/diphtheria (Td) booster.

Vaccination is especially important for adolescents and adults with frequent contact with infants under 12 months of age. This includes parents, grandparents, healthcare workers and daycare providers. When possible, women should receive the Tdap vaccine before becoming pregnant. Pregnant women should get vaccinated as soon as possible after delivery of the infant. The Tdap vaccine should ideally be given 2-4 weeks before contact with the infant begins. Vaccinating these groups will help protect young infants who are not old enough to receive vaccines for whooping cough.

The Van Wert County Health Department administers Tdap vaccines. The cost is $10 for adolescents ages 11-18 years and for parents and caregivers of children less than 5 years. For all others receiving the vaccine, the cost is $55. Call 419-23... to schedule an appointment.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: OH: Whooping cough outbreaks

Source: http://www.cantonrep.com/communities/canton/x896787978/Whooping-cough-making-a-comeback-in-Stark


Whooping cough making a comeback in Stark

By Benjamin Duer
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Nov 03, 2009 @ 09:10 PM

H1N1 (swine) influenza has been grabbing all the headlines, rightfully so.

But it?s not alone as a threat to your child?s health.

Pertussis ? known as whooping cough ? once again is on the rise locally.

More than 40 cases of pertussis have been reported since September. The last time health officials saw this many cases was in 2005, according to the Stark County Public Health Coalition.

The average age of those who have gotten it is 13.

Karen Schanz, an epidemiologist for the Stark County Health Department, said some diseases are ?cyclical in nature,? and pertussis is one of them. It seems to re-emerge locally every three to five years.

WHAT IS PERTUSSIS?

Pertussis is a highly contagious infection that affects the respiratory system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infants are at the highest risk.

Schanz said the bacterial disease often starts mild ? no to low fever, a runny nose and cough ? and resembles a common cold. After a few weeks, the cough gets worse and makes it hard to breathe. People have ?coughing fits,? and may cough so hard that they vomit or crack a rib. For infants, severe complications include apnea, pneumonia, seizures or death, CDC officials said.

Pertussis is treatable and preventable.

Schanz said five doses of vaccine ? administered from ages 2 months to 6 years old ? significantly helps immunize infants and young children from pertussis.

?No vaccine is going to be 100 percent effective. This vaccine has 80 to 85 percent effectiveness,? she said.

Schanz said preteens ? ages 11 to 12 ? should receive a booster dose. There also is a vaccine for older children and adults. But she said most older children and adults never get the booster shot, so their immunity decreases and the risk of getting pertussis re-emerges.

?We see the most severe cases in very young infants. They end up in the hospital,? Schanz said. ?Older kids and adults have such mild symptoms, they don?t know they have it. (Some people) just think they have bad seasonal allergies.?

WHY IS IT BACK?

At least five local pertussis cases involved infants.

The infants, all too young to be vaccinated, contracted the disease from unvaccinated and/or undervaccinated household members with extended and undiagnosed pertussis symptoms, the Health Coalition said.

Schanz said pertussis also has re-emerged because:

n Early childhood vaccine has faded away, and the child has not receive a booster shot.

n Child or adult never was vaccinated or undervaccinated because of other medical reasons.

n Child or adult never was vaccinated due to religious practices.

Schanz said pertussis is difficult to distinguish between a common cold or influenza so check with a physician. She said physicians will prescribe an antibiotic which kills the bacteria; however, patients may continue to cough for a while because their lungs were irritated.

Schanz said Health Department officials want parents and area physicians to know that pertussis exists in Stark County, so they?ll check for it.

WHAT IS PERTUSSIS?

? Nicknamed ?whooping cough.?

? Is a preventable disease. Has a vaccine.

? May cause severe to life-threatening symptoms mostly in young children. Severe coughs, whooping and vomiting.

? Older children and adults may catch it; appears as cold-like with an unrelenting cough which lasts more than two weeks.

? Peaks in 3 to 5 years waves nationally and locally. Last outbreak of pertussis in Stark County was in 2005; more than 50 cases.

Source: EPI Gram, a publication of the Stark County Public Health Coalition


5 DOSES

Children should get five doses of pertussis vaccine at ages:

? 2 months

? 4 months

? 6 months

? 15 to 8 months

? 4 to 6 years

Booster shot is recommended for pre-teens, 11 or 12 years, or in place of one tetanus booster in older children and adults.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention