Highly contagious whooping cough soaring in Washington state, including Mid-Columbia
Washington state is seeing a dramatic increase in pertussis — whooping cough — with cases reported in 25 of 39 counties.
Pertussis is a serious respiratory illness that causes a severe cough noted for producing a “whooping” sound. It spreads from person to person via sneezing and coughing.
The Washington State Department of Health confirmed 1,533 cases for the year to date, 25 times more than the 61 confirmed over the same period in 2023.
Seattle, Spokane and Vancouver have the most cases, but rural areas are being struck by the highly contagious virus as well, including the Mid-Columbia.
Benton and Franklin counties each reported six cases, Grant County 61, Yakima County 11 and Walla Walla County two, according to a weekly update.
Infants less than a year old are at the greatest risk for disease and death as are pregnant women in their last trimester Healthcare workers and family members or caregivers who work with infected patients are also at risk.
Symptoms include whooping coughs, vomiting and apnea.
Anyone experiencing symptoms is advised to seek medical care for testing. Antibiotic treatments may lessen the severity of the illness if received early.
The DTaP and Tdap vaccines are the best way to prevent pertussis, health officials say.
Of 144 infants diagnosed with pertussis so far in 2024, 123 were old enough to have received an initial vaccine.
State figures show 25 of those infants, or 17%, had received at least one dose.
The actual prevalence of pertussis may be much higher than the numbers reported. The Centers for Disease Control estimates only 10% of cases are detected.