765 whooping-cough cases reported since fall outbreak

DANIEL YEE

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

 

http://www.ardemgaz.com/today/ark/B4xwhoop18.asp

 

Dr. Mary Jewell Atkins well remembers last year's whooping cough outbreak.

She came down with the disease and had to spend Thanksgiving by herself.

    "I didn't get to attend my family Thanksgiving," said Atkins, a

pediatrician at Benton Pediatric Clinic. Her family was "supposed to come to

my house, but I couldn't have" the dinner.

    Although the state Department of Health continues to receive new reports

of whooping cough cases, officials -- with crossed fingers -- say the worst

of the outbreak may be over.

    Department officials said there have been 765 cases in 43 counties since

the outbreak began in September.

    Arkansas' outbreak last year was one of the largest in the nation and

involved the most cases the state has seen since a vaccine against the

disease was introduced in the 1940s.

    The outbreak passed the previous state record of 279 cases in 1963.

Before the vaccine was introduced, officials say, hundreds of cases of

whopping cough, clinically known as pertussis, were reported every year.

    The number of cases being reported now is "beginning to slow down," said

Dr. Sandra Snow, medical director for communicable disease and immunizations

for the Health Department. But, whether the worst is over, "that's really

going to be difficult to tell for a while."

    Since June, health departments have weathered a nationwide shortage of

the DTaP vaccine -- a childhood booster for diphtheria, tetanus and

acellular pertussis.

    The vaccine is administered in five doses from the first 6 months of age

up to 6 years old. Arkansas health officials said that so far there's been

enough of the vaccine to go around without reducing the number of doses.

    Other states have been hit harder by the shortage. To stretch the

vaccine supply, officials with the federal Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention in Atlanta told doctors that they did not have to administer the

fourth or fifth doses of the vaccine.

    Although children under 6 have a vaccine for whooping cough, there isn't

an approved whooping-cough vaccine for anyone older than age 7. Clinical

trials are under way in the United States on an adult booster shot for the

disease, however.

    Whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and is

transmitted by respiratory droplets. Symptoms include numerous rapid coughs

accompanied by a high-pitched "whoop."

    Victims may turn blue and experience nausea and exhaustion. Unvaccinated

infants can experience severe symptoms and can die from whooping cough.

    A five-day treatment regimen of antibiotics of the drug class

macrolides, such as erythromycin, Zithromax or Biaxin, can prevent an

infected person from spreading the disease, although the treatment does not

always eliminate the symptoms.

    "I think the main thing is if they have a cough that is making them kind

of gag or have to catch their breath real hard, they need to go in and see a

doctor," Atkins said. She added that she did not have much of a cough when

she had the disease.

    When things slow down, Health Department officials hope to analyze the

outbreak.

    "When we have time to catch our breath, we will look at the numbers and

see what age group was hit the hardest, were they immunized, see how many

shots did they have, which brand of vaccine did they receive," Snow said.

"We will examine all factors to see if there was any reason why this

happened."

    Meanwhile, flu season is looming.

    So far, Health Department officials have confirmed only one case of the

flu in Pulaski County. Health officials in Crawford, Lincoln, Polk, Saline

and Sebastian counties also have reported flulike activity, although cases

have not been confirmed.

    "We're getting some influenza now, but you never [immediately] know

which one it is," whooping cough or flu, Atkins said.

 

 

 

This article was published on Friday, January 18, 2002

 

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.