Posted on 06/24/2010 8:28:16 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough is an extremely contagious infection which has now been considered an epidemic in California. With a rising number of infections, whooping cough is well on the way to break the 50 year old record which was set in 1958. The last outbreak was five years ago, and claimed 8 lives. Already this year, five infants have died from whooping cough, according to California public health officials.
This infection has come roaring back. The number of cases that are being investigated as or considered whooping cough is already at an unusual 1,510. Officials fear the worst, predicting that this outbreak will take more lives than an outbreak in 1952 which claimed 15 lives. People need to protect themselves. Parents should make sure that their children are current on all shots. Furthermore, all adults should get a booster shot for pertussis as soon as possible. People should contact their county health center for a free shot; at this time California has plenty of shots readily available.
Outbreaks of whooping cough are usually seen every two to five years. Whooping cough is an infection of the respiratory system that is very highly contagious. Symptoms begin that are similar to that of a common cold. You may get a runny nose, fever, a cough, and start sneezing. Then the symptoms progress as the cough develops into a dry, persistent cough. The person infected will have coughing spells lasting for more than a minute. At this time, the person may turn red or even blue in color from coughing so intensely. When the coughing spell is complete, when breathing in, on may notice a whooping sound. The spells of coughing can be rather scary, as it may appear one is gasping for air. Children are usually affected worse than adults, especially those who have not received their complete set of shots for pertussis.
People who notice the above symptoms should be seen by their physician as soon as possible. Cases should be treated promptly to a avoid life threatening situation.
Primary care doc treated me for "chronic cough" for a couple of months until I was able to get to pulminary specialist, who treated me for over 1 month. Left me exhausted for more than 6 months afterward.
Only later did I learn that "whooping cough was making a 'resurgence' after being dormant for many decades in Midwest."
Light came on in my head - most of the restaurants that I frequented all had Mexican/Hispanic kitchen/bus boy help, including our golf club!
The typical “tetanus shot” (which you are recommended to get if you cut yourself on something rusty) also immunizes against pertussis (whooping cough) and diphtheria. Now there’s an odd threesome.
I would imagine so and it probably depends on the school system. Where I live, all NEW students to the system, regardless of age, must provide a shot record and evidence of a medical checkup visit within the year.
The vaccinations only last a few years. Teens and adults would need boosters. I wonder if there are any that don’t come in the full DTAP shot. It would be nice to go and get a pertussis vaccine alone.
Um, if you believe being immunized prevents getting it, why do you care if someone else is NOT vaccinated? I’ve never gotten that.
Gotta love the brilliant reporting.
http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100624/NEWS01/6240310
In Monterey County this year, more than 80 percent of the reported cases involve Latinos, the Health Department reported, and the state says 80 percent of the infants who have died of pertussis in California since 1998 were Latino.
But the disease should not be linked to immigration, [Dr. Lisa Hernandez of the Monterey County Health Department] said, noting that the county Health Department does not collect data on whooping cough patients’ citizenship status.
Rust has nothing to do with tetanus. You can get it from any open wound. Splinter, needle, animal or insect bite. Even burns, frostbite, or childbirth.
I was thinking that since it was CA where the outbreak is happening, that it would be likely it was due to whack job parents who thing vaccinating is evil and causes everything from bad vibes to autism.
I got whooping cough when I lived in Germany, shortly after getting married, merging two sets of kids, moving from an appartment in a German village to post housing all the while holding down a job. Probably my resistance was low at the time.
It was never diagnosed. I kept going to the base doc and he couldn’t find anything, except that I was coughing my brains out for months. All the military and gov’t civiliam folks I came in contact with would have had all the requisite shots - as did I, but I don’t know if pertussis was a requirement.
Here in PA, the Amish do not get vaccinated for anything and have been cited as a reservoir for these things.
Well the combination of mass migration from the turd world along with the current trend of parents being afraid to immunize their kids is probably a contributing factor to this. It’s no accident that TB is also on the rise.
It is still that way here. Kids can’t attend daycare, preschool, or elementary or high school without providing up-to-date shot records and physical.
Upon recommendation from the hospital, I just got the dtap vaccine before leaving with my newborn.
Gee, I wonder where it came from?
When will the insanity end?
Rust says a lot about what kind of conditions it’s been in, tend to be the same ones that favor the tetanus organism.
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