FL: Whooping cough cases

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.wkrg.com/medical/article/four_cases_of_whooping_cough_in_fl_planhandle/45350/


Four Cases Of Whooping Cough In FL Planhandle

The Santa Rosa County Health Department is currently investigating four confirmed cases of pertussis, or ?whooping cough.? Four Cases Of Whooping Cough In FL Planhandle
Published: Tue, May 12, 2009 - 11:54 am

The Santa Rosa County Health Department is currently investigating four confirmed cases of pertussis, or ?whooping cough.?

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the upper respiratory system. Because this disease can be very serious, even fatal, to infants younger than 12 months, the health department is in contact with the individuals who may have been exposed and is working to prevent this from becoming a widespread outbreak.

?Pertussis has historically shown to be prevalent in our area, yet it is preventable with proper vaccination,? said Shannon L. Jacobs, M.A., M.P.H., administrator of the health department. ?This is the second time we are seeing pertussis in Santa Rosa County this year, and now there are clusters of cases, so we hope parents will protect their children and others by getting the Tdap shot.?

The health department is encouraging parents of children who have not had a Tdap vaccine (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis) booster shot to get one. This includes all children who are currently in grades 9 ? 12, as the booster is now required for children entering 7th grade.

There is no charge for the shot through the Vaccines for Children program, and it is available without an appointment on Monday ? Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the health department?s locations in Milton (5527 Stewart Street) and Midway (5840 Gulf Breeze Parkway).

Click here for more information on whooping cough.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: FL: Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/cough-18103-whooping-county.html

Whooping cough rises in Santa Rosa County

12 ?suspected cases' have been reported at an assisted-living facility in Milton
June 11, 2009 - 6:40 PM
Andrew Gant
Daily News

MILTON - Reports of whooping cough here are rising, and Santa Rosa County health officials said Thursday they were investigating another dozen "suspect cases" of the contagious disease.

There have been 30 confirmed cases in the county since February, "with numbers increasing significantly in May and continuing to rise in June," the county's health department said.

Of those 30, 11 cases have been confirmed by lab tests. The remaining 19 were clinically diagnosed or were in close contact with a lab-confirmed case.

The 12 additional suspected cases were residents and staffers at a Milton assisted-living facility.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, spreads easily through close contact with an infected person. It starts with mild symptoms - runny nose, congestion, sneezing, mild cough or fever - and escalates after a week or two.

Coughing can last for months after that. Fits of coughing can intensify at night, and cough medicines usually don't help.

The intense coughing fits can cause a "whoop" sound as patients, especially children, have trouble breathing. Some children begin vomiting and their skin turns blue.

The disease is treatable with antibiotics. A vaccine prevents it.

Most healthy people recover from whooping cough, but it can be most dangerous for infants.

VACCINATE YOUR KIDS

Free Tdap vaccines for whooping cough are available through the Vaccines for Children program at the Santa Rosa County Health Department on Stewart Street in Milton. Visit the Web site here ?

 

[Shiloh]

Re: FL: Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.northescambia.com/?p=10314

Whooping Cough: Ten Times The Normal Cases In Escambia

August 21, 2009

After a surge in local whooping cough cases, local health officials are launching an informational campaign to remind families about the importance of booster vaccinations against this very contagious disease.

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, can be especially dangerous to newborn infants who are too young to get vaccinated. Studies have shown that newborns often get the disease from teenagers and adults in their family or other close contacts.

?In a normal year, there are three to five cases reported, but already in 2009, we have 50 cases,? said Dr. John Lanza, Director of the Escambia County Health Department. ?Because it can be so dangerous for newborns, it is important for the teenage and adult family members to talk with their physician about getting vaccinated against pertussis.

The informational campaign includes radio spots featuring the actress and singer Jennifer Lopez. The campaign also includes billboards. Copies of the radio spot and billboard are attached to this press release.

Most teens and adults were vaccinated for pertussis when they were a child. However, if there is going to be a newborn in their home, they should talk with their physician about getting vaccinated again. This infection is also serious for people with weakened immune systems and the elderly. If it has been two or more years since a teen or adult received a tetanus shot, it may be appropriate for them to receive the TDaP shot. Individuals should talk with their physician or the Escambia County Health Department about getting the vaccination.

Vaccinations are available at the health department and from many private physicians. The vaccine that children aged 6 weeks to 7 years old receive is the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, pronounced Dee-TAP) vaccine. The vaccine that children of 11 years old through adults of 64 years old receive is the TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, pronounced Tee-DAP).

This disease is very contagious and is spread from person to person through the droplets from a cough. The main symptom is a cough that lasts for 2 weeks to several months. The cough can be very serious. Individuals may be unable to catch their breath and begin to turn blue. Severe coughs can also lead to vomiting, sleep loss, weight loss, nose bleeds, rib fractures, hernia and even pneumonia. In infants, the cough may have a ?whoop? sound at the end.

People who have these symptoms should see a doctor. There are specific antibiotics that treat pertussis. Also, see a doctor if you have a cough and have been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with pertussis.

Additional information about the disease, what infected individuals should do, and vaccination recommendations are available at www.EscambiaHealth.com

 

[Shiloh]

Re: FL: Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.pnj.com/article/20090825/NEWS01/908250315/1006/NEWS01

Health officials warn of whooping cough
Carmen Paige ? cpaige@pnj.com ? August 25, 2009

With a large increase in outbreaks of pertussis, commonly called whooping cough, health department officials in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties want families to consider booster vaccinations.
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"In a normal year, there are three to five cases reported," said Dr. John Lanza, Escambia County Health Department director.

"But already in 2009, we have 50 cases."

Santa Rosa County also has had 50 cases of pertussis this year, epidemiologist Samantha Rivers said. Last year, it had one.

"Pertussis has a natural four- to five-year waxing and waning, and it's been that amount of time since the last (outbreak)," she said.

Pertussis is contagious, and especially dangerous to newborns too young to get vaccinated, Lanza said. The vaccination is among those given to infants at about 6 weeks of age.

"Because it can be dangerous for newborns, it is important for the teenage and adult family members to talk with their physician about getting vaccinated," he said.

Escambia will spread the word through an informational campaign of billboards and radio spots.

Santa Rosa health officials are trying to obtain some additional vaccine from the state for vaccinations at high schools, said Health Department Interim Director Sandy Park.

"The vaccine is not required for high school students like it is for seventh-graders," she said. "Unfortunately, we have seen additional pertussis cases in the high schools and some day cares."

Most teens and adults were vaccinated when they were a child, Lanza said.

The infection also is serious for people with weakened immune systems.

 

[JimO]

Re: FL: Whooping cough cases

Friends of ours have whooping cough in their family (Jacksonville - Duval County) and our three teenagers spent the weekend with them. Ughhhhhh. They thought it was only a cold to start with, but yesterday their two youngest started getting worse.

Any advice to prevent/treat whooping cough? We've all been vaccinated, but none of us has had a recent booster.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: FL: Whooping cough cases

Vaccination is the best preventive measure. If unsure of the date of your last vaccination, consult your doctor...may be time for a booster. Whooping cough can be deadly for infants and there has been a push to get adults as well as kids vaccinated in areas like Australia where it is epidemic.

 

[silvergirl]

Re: FL: Whooping cough cases

Okay. My brother has been coughing for about 2 weeks now. Last night he said, "It feels like I am going to pass out when I am coughing." I said well let me know if your fingers turn blue-I was kidding because he has been coughing for a while now. ANYWAY, this AM I hear him upstairs coughing cawcawcawcawcawWHOOOPcawcawWHOOOOP. I look up on the internet the sound of Perussis. I had heard tapes of it in nursing school and this immediately came to mind. I found tape of a baby whooping (poor thing). He came down and I said I think you have whooping cough. Instead of calling the doc he leaves to get on a city bus. I call and make an appt because he doesn't think he can afford it. Well I can't afford to get sick in two weeks when I am on vacation-also if I am around my patients, so I kinda needed to know. Also we have a newborn nephew who I don't want sick. He goes to the doc with info written out (paroxysmal cough, been sick, feel like passing out when coughing, but when not coughing feels okay etc etc), and I had talked to the nurse when I made the appt. She was great. Texted him after the appt "Well?" "Sinus" he sends back. I was livid. I can't believe without testing docs can be so darn sure of themselves to put little guys like my nephew in harms way. He didn't even get antibiotics. Just claritin, nasacort, and tessalon perle. I just don't get people. Like to whoop em. JK

 

[Shiloh]

Re: FL: Whooping cough cases

An article about diagnosing Whooping Cough:
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105221

 

[Shiloh]

Re: FL: Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.pnj.com/article/20091005/NEWS01/91005016

Santa Rosa faced with whooping cough

Louis Cooper ? lcooper@pnj.com ? October 5, 2009

Some high school students in Santa Rosa County are being vaccinated to protect against a widespread outbreak of pertussis, commonly called whooping cough.

Students at Milton High School have already been offered the vaccine, according to Sandy Park, interim administrator of the Santa Rosa County Health Department.

Students willing to be vaccinated at Pace High School will receive the vaccine Wednesday, she said. Central School in Allentown is next on the list.

Santa Rosa County usually sees about two cases of whooping cough a year, but has seen 55 cases so far in 2009, Park told the Santa Rosa County Commission this morning. That constitutes an outbreak.

Two of the 55 cases have required infants to be hospitalized, she said. The outbreak has been concentrated in the Milton area.

"We felt if we could get our population of high school students vaccinated, our (incidences) would decrease," Park told commissioners. "We're going to keep going to the high schools as long as the vaccines will last."

The Health Department ordered 1,200 doses of vaccine from the state.

Whooping cough causes a persistent cough and flu-like symptoms that can last up to three weeks, she said. Since whooping cough is caused by a bacteria, she said anyone with symptoms should contact their doctor for antibiotics.

The vaccines are also available at the Health Department's offices in Milton, Jay and Midway for free as long as the 1,200 doses last, she said.