Dozens of new whooping cough cases linked to school outbreaks in Santa Cruz County
UPDATE 12/05/18 6:40 p.m. Dozens of new whooping cough cases are being reported in Santa Cruz County and health officials associated most of the cases to school outbreaks.
Since Sept. 1, the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency has received 101 reports of suspected and confirmed whooping cough cases.
The Public Health Division said it’s managing the outbreaks through communication with schools, families, and clinicians; investigation of cases; and recommendations to control spread.
“Whooping cough is highly contagious and spreads easily through the air when a person who has the disease breathes, coughs, or sneezes. A person can spread the disease from the very beginning of sickness and for at least 3 weeks after coughing starts,” said health officials.
At first whooping cough appears to be no more than the common cold. After 1-2 weeks, violent coughing fits, vomiting after coughing, gasping for air, and exhaustion often occur. Complications can include cracked ribs, abdominal hernias, and broken blood vessels in the skin or eyes.
County Health Services Manager, Kelly DeBaene, says while the vaccination for whooping cough is not perfect, it is the best prevention method, “those who have not been vaccinated at all or those who haven’t had a vaccine in many many years are susceptible to the disease. But those who are most susceptible to complications are babies those under one year old. They have complications like pneumonia, seizures, brain damage maybe even death.”
Parents and teachers should also remind children to wash their hands frequently and cough properly by turning your mouth into your sleeve to prevent the spread of germs.
DaBaene says since babies are at the highest risk for developing major health problems after contracting whooping cough, women who are in their third trimester of their pregnancy should get vaccinated and babies can start getting their shot at 2 months old.
Some parents in Santa Cruz traditionally opt out of getting their children vaccinated, but DeBaene says that is likely not the cause of this outbreak.
She says outbreaks happen every three to five years, with the last one happening in 2014.
For more information, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/
For public health questions call the Communicable Disease Unit at (831) 454-4114.
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Dozens of new whooping cough cases are being reported in Santa Cruz County and health officials associated most of the cases to school outbreaks.
Since Sept. 1, the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency has received 101 reports of suspected and confirmed whooping cough cases.
The Public Health Division said it’s managing the outbreaks through communication with schools, families, and clinicians; investigation of cases; and recommendations to control spread.
“Whooping cough is highly contagious and spreads easily through the air when a person who has the disease breathes, coughs, or sneezes. A person can spread the disease from the very beginning of sickness and for at least 3 weeks after coughing starts,” said health officials.
At first whooping cough appears to be no more than the common cold. After 1-2 weeks, violent coughing fits, vomiting after coughing, gasping for air, and exhaustion often occur. Complications can include cracked ribs, abdominal hernias, and broken blood vessels in the skin or eyes.
Coming up at 5 and 6 p.m. KION’s Ashley Keehn will have more on the outbreak in Santa Cruz County and what health officials advise people to do.
For more information, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/
For public health questions call the Communicable Disease Unit at (831) 454-4114.
For other health advisories and alerts visit www.santacruzhealth.org/alerts
