San Luis Obispo County health officials report that whooping cough cases are on track to reach their highest level in about a decade. This comes during a statewide surge, with 590 Californians infected as of April, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last year, SLO County saw 18 cases of whooping cough. This year, 11 have already been reported, and officials expect that number to grow. So far, there have been no hospitalizations.
The disease starts like a common cold, with a runny nose and mild cough, but symptoms can develop into severe coughing fits that end with a “whoop” sound when breathing. The airborne illness is caused by the bordetella pertussis bacterium.
SLO County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said the rise in cases after low numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic is part of a usual pattern.
“We tend to see peaks and valleys with this disease, and it's really unclear why, but in typical cases across the time frame, we tend to see every four years– maybe a little bit longer– that cases rise much more than they do usually,” Borenstein said.
Infants under one year old are most at risk for serious complications.
According to Borenstein, the most effective form of protection is a vaccine– usually given to kids as DTaP, and later as a booster called Tdap. Adults who were not vaccinated as children are encouraged to get a single dose.
Borenstein also recommends staying away from anyone who is coughing or sick.
