RICHMOND —
The health department has confirmed 24 whooping cough cases in Madison County since mid-May when the county’s first cases of the year were reported.
Diagnosis of two suspected cases is pending, the health department announced Friday.
As far as public health officials are aware, none of the victims have been hospitalized or had serious complications, according to Christie Green, health department spokesperson.
Most cases have occurred in the Waco and Richmond areas, she said. Other cases have been confirmed in northern Madison County and Berea, Green said.
The majority of the cases, 21, have affected children from 5 to 14 years old. One case was detected in a 7-month-old baby, another in an 18-month-old toddler and a third case involved an adult, Green said.
Some cases have been isolated, but several are related to school, daycare and family contacts, Green said. For example, four groups of cases were among siblings.
In some households there was only one whooping cough infection because family members quickly received preventive antibiotic treatments and did not develop symptoms, she said.
“This means that health-care providers are taking precautions to protect the families and that our contact investigations are working to prevent its spread,” Green said.
Whooping cough, also known by the medical name pertussis, produces symptoms similar to the common cold including mild fever, runny nose, and coughing. After about a week, however, it also may include episodes of coughing accompanied by the characteristic “whoop,” Green said.
As previously reported, pertussis is especially dangerous for infants and young children. Among infants under 1 year of age, about 50 percent that contract the illness have to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Green suggested these precautions to avoid pertussis infection:
• Pregnant women should avoid people who are sick with a cough and talk to their obstetrician about getting the Tdap vaccine to protect their newborn.
• Parents of new babies should talk to their pediatricians about ways to keep babies safe.
• Parents, family and daycare workers should make sure to get Tdap booster vaccinations to protect babies.
• Parents and guardians should make sure to get the recommended vaccines for infants and children on time.
The health department is offering free Tdap vaccines to anyone age 11 and older who cannot get it from their doctor or pharmacist. Call 623-7312 for more information.
News Writer Sarah Hogsed also contributed to this story
Mary Barczak can be reached at mbarczak@richmondregister.com
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24 cases of whooping cough are confirmed in Madison County
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