Alaska Native Medical Center and other Alaska hospitals and clinics currently seeing a rise in cases of pertussis (whooping cough)
August 9, 2024
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. Toxins caused by the bacteria can cause airway inflammation.
With kids across Alaska starting school next week, this is a good time to ask your primary care provider about vaccination if you or your children are not already vaccinated. The best way to prevent pertussis is to get vaccinated.
How does pertussis spread?
The bacteria that cause whooping cough spread easily from person to person through the air. When a person with whooping cough sneezes or coughs, they release small particles with the bacteria in them. Other people can then breathe in the bacteria.
These bacteria can spread when people spend a lot of time together or share breathing space.
What are the symptoms of pertussis?
Symptoms may begin as a common cold with cough and fever, followed later by stronger coughing episodes or “whoop” cough, and may lead to difficulty in breathing. Whooping cough can cause serious illness, or even death, in infants and young children.
Tips for protecting yourself and others:
- Get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends pertussis vaccination for people of all ages (children younger than 7 years of age receive DTaP, while older children and adults receive Tdap).
- Cover coughs and sneezes and stay home if you are sick.
- Patients with respiratory illness should be given a mask and isolated from others.
- Seek medical care immediately if you think you or your child has whooping cough.
Visit the CDC website to learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/index.html