Whooping cough cases have nearly quadrupled nationwide since last year. Oklahoma is seeing those impacts, with 232 cases reported this year as of last week compared to seven in all of 2023.
Whooping cough is a respiratory tract infection characterized by a severe cough followed by a high-pitched breath, or whoop. Two physicians from the Mercy health system have more on what could be influencing this increase and how to protect yourself.
What are whooping cough symptoms, and how does it spread?
Whooping cough is caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis, transmitted by respiratory droplets. It usually takes about seven to ten days for an exposure to result in symptoms.
Dr. Girish Murthy, an infectious disease specialist at a Mercy infectious disease clinic in Ardmore, said the infection has three stages of symptoms:
- Catarrhal stage: This lasts one to two weeks and includes a mild cough and low-grade fever. Individuals are very contagious in this period.
- Paroxysmal stage: This can last anywhere from two to eight weeks and includes severe, persistent coughing, vomiting and exhaustion.
- Convalescent phase: Can last anywhere from two weeks to a few months. It includes a lingering cough and recovery.
“The whole process itself can be a few months. So, it can be a pretty devastating disease to deal with,” Murthy said.
Murthy said the paroxysmal stage is the most difficult for infants, people who are 65 and older, and patients with immunosuppressants like those who are receiving chemotherapy. He said infants might have symptoms like crying, irritability, and dehydration. They also may not whoop or cough.
What could be causing this uptick?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Murthy said things like masking likely lowered transmissions.
He said there could be many reasons why Oklahoma is seeing more cases. Testing for infections like whooping cough has improved in the past decade, making it more commonly diagnosed. He also said strains of whooping cough can become resistant to different antibiotics and increase the incidence of it.
Dr. Kelsey Damron, a pediatrician at a Mercy primary care clinic in Edmond, said the pandemic made it more challenging for kids to stay on track with their vaccines.
Now, she said there has been an increase in vaccine hesitancy. Oklahoma had the third-highest increase in vaccine exemption rates among kindergartners in the nation during the 2022-23 school year.
She said an uptick in whooping cough cases could be attributed to lacking vaccination rates.
“The diseases that vaccines protect against, we don't really see those anymore. And so, a lot of people think, ‘Well, this isn't out there anymore, so I don't need the vaccine.’” Damron said. “But, the vaccine is why it's not there anymore.”
What can you do to protect yourself and others?
The CDC recommends infants get the DTaP vaccine in a three-dose series at two, four and six months. Then, it advises getting a booster at 15 to 18 months and another at four to six years old.
Murthy said it’s a common misconception that you just get vaccinated against whooping cough as a kid. But the CDC also recommends getting a Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, every ten years after receiving their first dose around 11 to 12 years old.
Pregnant people can also protect their infants from whooping cough by getting the Tdap vaccine during the 27 through 36 weeks of each pregnancy. He recommended parents and anyone in contact with an infant get a Tdap vaccine.
“We have a three-and-a-half-year-old and a one-year-old, and so I got that vaccine, also. for each one. … You want to do whatever you can to keep that infant protected,” Murthy said. “ … If it has something like [whooping cough], then it can be really devastating.”
If you start noticing symptoms, Murthy said to bring your infant to their pediatrician or go to the doctor if you’re an adult. Antibiotics can make an early whooping cough case less serious.
“If you [get treated] early enough, like in the first seven to 10 days of catching it, the antibiotics will reduce the duration of symptoms,” Murthy said. “If it's after two or three weeks, the antibiotics will at least help prevent you from spreading it to someone else.”
If you do get diagnosed, Murthy said the CDC recommends staying isolated until you have finished five days of antibiotics.
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