Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Cases Rising in Dane County

Public Health Madison & Dane County is alerting the community about an outbreak of pertussis, also known as whooping cough. In the last 8 weeks there have been 43 cases in Dane County, primarily affecting teenagers.

“Vaccines have made cases of pertussis rare, in fact we go many months out of the year without a single case, so to see these kinds of numbers is significant and we are urging the community to take this increase seriously,” said Amanda Kita-Yarbro, Epidemiologist for Public Health Madison & Dane County.

Pertussis is a persistent cough illness. It is a respiratory infection caused by a bacteria and spreads easily. Anyone at any age can get it, but it can be particularly serious and even deadly to infants and people with a compromised immune system. Even if someone has been fully vaccinated against pertussis, the protective effects can wane over time, and they can still get pertussis. The vaccine is working, as we are not seeing severe illness or hospitalization among the people affected.

“Initial symptoms of pertussis are like a common cold, so during this time it’s common for people to choose to go about their daily routine. This unfortunately can lead to others being exposed before a diagnosis happens. Then, after about a week, the cough can get much worse, for some people making it hard to breathe,” said Kita-Yarbro.

Public Health recommends several steps to prevent the spread of pertussis:

• Check vaccination status: Make sure that you and your children are up-to-date with the DTaP vaccine (for children) and Tdap vaccine (for adolescents and adults). If you were vaccinated in Wisconsin, you can check vaccination records on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR).
• If you think you or your child have been exposed or have pertussis symptoms: Talk to your healthcare provider right away. Keep in mind that while it is known as “whooping cough”, the telltale “whoop” sound is not common in teenagers and adults, and not all infants or young children will make this sound either. In certain cases, providers will prescribe antibiotics for people who were close contacts to someone with pertussis, even if they don’t yet have symptoms.
• Practice good hygiene: Stay at home if you are sick. When coughing, cover your mouth with a tissue or cough into your sleeve. Wash your hands often.

If you aren’t up to date on your immunizations, make an appointment with your medical provider or a local pharmacy. Public Health provides free vaccinations for children on BadgerCare and those who are uninsured.