Iowa Whooping cough cases

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.kcci.com/health/18315894/detail.html

Whooping Cough Cases Increase In Iowa
POSTED: 7:17 am CST December 19, 2008

Whooping cough is on the rise in Iowa, but it's not as bad as four years ago.

State epidemiologist Dr. Patricia Quinlisk said 50 cases have been confirmed in Iowa in the past few weeks. She said the number is "up a bit," but it's not as serious as the winter of 2004-2005, when hundreds of cases were reported. That was the worst season in Iowa for whooping cough, or pertussis, in at least 50 years.

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection and tends to be the most dangerous in young children. Almost all children are vaccinated against the disease as infants and toddlers, but the protection is imperfect.

Officials recommend a booster shot at age 11 or 12, plus another one when adults are vaccinated against tetanus.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Iowa Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/48206807.html

Whooping Cough Outbreak in Buchanan County
By Adam Carros

Story Created: Jun 16, 2009 at 8:38 PM CDT
Story Updated: Jun 16, 2009 at 9:12 PM CDT

INDEPENDENCE - Health officials are investigating an outbreak of whooping cough cases in Buchanan County.

The Buchanan County Department of Public Health says its confirmed 5 cases in the county.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, starts with cold-like symptoms. Within a week or two, the patient develops uncontrollable coughing spells. These coughs are accompanied by the tell-tale whooping sound as the patient gasps for air after the cough. The disease is most dangerous for the elderly and infants.

"Whooping cough can be very serious for infants who may loose their breath completely and are at risk for death from this disease," explained Amy Marlow, the director of the Buchanan County Health Center Public Health Department. "The elderly are an easy target for the disease also, with the fear that they will develop pneumonia."

Health Officials are monitoring the disease and are in contact with people who have tested positive for whooping cough. If you think you or someone you know has symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Iowa Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2009/06/24/news/local/11431840.txt

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 12:07 PM CDT
More whooping cough reported in Buchanan County
INDEPENDENCE --- Public health officials today revealed additional cases of whooping cough have been diagnosed in Buchanan County.

As of Friday, the number of confirmed cases was at 11.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is highly contagious, and representatives of the Buchanan County Public Health Department are contacting people possibly at risk because of exposure. According to officials, they have talked with more than 300 individuals.

Pertussis features a prolonged harsh cough accompanied by cold-like symptoms.

To be evaluated, call the Buchanan County Health Center at (319) 332-0860. For information about whooping cough, go to www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/pertussis.asp.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Iowa Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.decorahnewspapers.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=20221

Pertussis in Winneshiek County

Four cases of pertussis (whooping cough) have been confirmed in Winneshiek County.

Winneshiek County Public Health and local healthcare providers are working with affected individuals and close contacts at this time.

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection caused by bacteria. It causes severe coughing that can interfere with eating, drinking and breathing. It is spread through the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes. Other people breathe in infected droplets.

Symptoms of pertussis are as follows:

? Starts as a cold with symptoms of runny nose and an irritating cough

? Within 1-2 weeks, cough develops into coughing fits

? Fits are violent coughs when the victim struggles for breath

? A high pitched whooping sound may follow the coughing

? Cough more frequent at night and may be followed by vomiting

? Between spells, person may appear to be normal

Affected individuals and their close contacts may be treated with an appropriate antibiotic which may help if given early in the illness.

Pertussis is prevented through routine immunization. Persons should be doing cough hygiene which includes covering your cough, staying away from others when coughing and washing hands frequently. This disease is particularly dangerous for infants who have not received the vaccination series. This could lead to death for those unvaccinated.

For more information, contact your healthcare provider or Winneshiek County Public Health at 563-....

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Iowa Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.decorahnewspapers.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=20257

Whooping cough cases in county at 13 and expected to rise
Can be fatal for unvaccinated


There are now 13 confirmed cases of Pertussis (whopping cough) in county residents between the ages of one month to 13 years, according to Winneshiek County Public Health.

And that number is expected to increase, as tests of additional suspected cases are pending.

Winneshiek County Public Health and local healthcare providers are working with affected individuals and close contacts. Public Health will be working through the weekend to make contact with those affected.

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection caused by bacteria. It causes severe coughing that can interfere with eating, drinking and breathing. It is spread through the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes. Other people breathe in the infected droplets. Anyone who has a persistent cough lasting for two to three days should contact his or her healthcare provider to be evaluated.

Adults often have a persistent cough or tickle thus creating more of a need to clear their throat. They may be the carriers and unaware they are spreading the disease.

Symptoms of Pertussis include:

? Starts as a cold with a runny nose and an irritating cough

? Within one to two weeks, cough develops into coughing fits

? Fits are violent coughs when the victim struggles for breath

? A high-pitched whooping sound may follow the coughing

? Cough more frequently at night and may be followed by vomiting

? Between spells, a person with pertussis may appear to be normal.

Public Health is advising anyone with a persistent cough to avoid community activities if possible.

Affected individuals and their close contacts may be treated with an appropriate antibiotic, which may help if given early in the illness. Based on Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines, anyone with symptoms who is placed on antibiotics should avoid social activities for five days and stay home.

Immunization

Pertussis is prevented through routine immunization. Members of the public should practice cough hygiene, which includes covering a cough, staying away from others when coughing and washing hands frequently.

This disease is particularly dangerous for infants who have not received the full vaccination series. This disease can be fatal for those unvaccinated because they do not have the needed immunity to the disease.

Iowa Department of Public Health has a day care consultant who will be working with all licensed day care providers in the county to distribute appropriate information. For more information regarding this illness, contact you healthcare provider or Winneshiek County Public Health at (563) 382-4662.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Iowa Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.omaha.com/article/20090717/NEWS01/907179984

Published Friday July 17, 2009
Whooping cough seen in Iowa

BY RICK RUGGLES
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported Friday that four Iowa counties currently are dealing with cases of pertussis, or whooping cough.

Buchanan County in northeast Iowa has had 27 cases since mid-June, said Amy Marlow, director of the county's health department. Iowa has had a total of 75 so far this year.

The three other Iowa counties that have reported recent cases of whooping cough are Cedar, Fayette and Winneshiek, all in the eastern portion of the state, officials said.

Nebraska has no outbreaks at this time, said Marla Augustine, spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Nebraska has recorded 82 cases so far this year.
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The Iowa Department of Public Health said the cases reflect the importance of obtaining pertussis vaccinations.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Iowa Whooping cough cases

Source: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_6f3b4433-480f-59f0-a747-add970cf085f.html

Woodbury Central students treated for pertussis

Molly Montag - mmontag@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 12:00 am

MOVILLE, Iowa -- Several students at Woodbury Central Community Schools are being treated for pertussis, or whooping cough, and school officials are asking parents to be vigilant to help prevent more infections.

Superintendent Doug Glackin said Thursday that officials learned one of the district's 600 students had a confirmed case of pertussis, or the whooping cough.

As of Tuesday, seven students are receiving antibiotic treatment for the infection, but Glackin said he didn't believe all were confirmed cases. Most of those students were in "upper elementary" grade levels, he said.

"We have seven students that are going through the whooping cough treatment, which is either they are showing symptoms and are being treated with the medication or have been diagnosed with pertussis," Glackin said.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious, airborne bacterial infection that has early symptoms similar to a cold or the flu. After two weeks, sufferers can experience violent coughing fits with the trademark "whoop" as they struggle for breath.

Woodbury Central is taking precautions similar to what it does to stop the spread of influenza. However, Glackin noted pertussis is most often spread through the air, not transmitted by infected surfaces.

About 10 percent of the school's students have called in sick. Glackin says that's fairly normal for the influenza season.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, pertussis is spread by breathing in droplets exhaled, sneezed or coughed by an infected person. Pertussis can be prevented by immunization.

Health officials urge those infected, or living with someone who is infected, to stay home from work or school while taking five days of antibiotic treatment.

According to an Oct. 1 letter mailed to parents, Woodbury Central will excuse absences for children taking the antibiotic treatment. Those absences will also be exempt, or not counted, under the district's semester test policy.

Symptoms

-- The whooping cough starts much like a cold, with sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, a low-grade fever and irritating coughs. The cough can be most annoying at night.

-- After a week, the coughing spells become violent. An infected person may have difficulty breathing and the cough may be, but is not always, followed by the trademark "whoop" as the person inhales. The spells are often followed by gagging or vomiting.

-- The coughing spells may happen months after a person recovers.

Source: Iowa Department of Public Health

 

[Tonka]

Re: Iowa Whooping cough cases

http://www.qctimes.com/news/local/article_a951c054-c441-11de-8c79-001cc4c03286.html

Southeast Iowa child dies from whooping cough
StoryDiscussionTimes staff | Posted: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 11:15 pm | (2) Comments

A child in southeastern Iowa has died from whooping cough, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

It's not known if it happened in the Quad-City region as neither state nor local officials reported the county in which the child resided.

But the death should remind Iowans that vaccine-preventable diseases such as pertussis - also called whooping cough - may cause complications and death to children who are too young to be fully vaccinated, said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, medical director of the state Health Department in Des Moines.

It's important for all adults, especially those who are around children younger than 5 years old, to be fully vaccinated to prevent the spread of an infectious disease such as pertussis, the doctor said.

Pertussis is spread by bacteria, and it becomes infectious when a person with it coughs and spreads the germs. It causes coughing spells so severe that it is difficult for infants to eat, drink or breathe. Coughing spells can last for weeks, and pertussis can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage and death.

Adults may not realize they have pertussis, Quinlisk said, because the symptoms first resemble a common cold.

Since 2005, the federal government has recommended vaccine boosters for those 11-18 years of age and for adults up to 64 years of age. Pertussis symptoms typically are milder in adults, but doctors fear they may pass the disease to children. The booster is not required in Iowa, although it is strongly recommended.

Pertussis cases shot up in Iowa during 2004 and 2005, with more than 1,000 instances reported each year. The disease spreads quickly among students because young people in school tend to gather closely in groups or when they participate in extracurricular activities.

Earlier this year, the Scott County Health Department vaccinated children at Davenport West High School, North Scott High School in Eldridge and Lourdes Catholic School, Bettendorf. The students received "Tdap" vaccines, for combined tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

Federal stimulus funds will allow Scott County to do another series of Tdap vaccines in the school districts next spring.

 

[silvergirl]

Re: Iowa Whooping cough cases

oops this is for news....