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Health officials fight outbreak of pertussisBy ROGER CROTEAU NEW BRAUNFELS -- Whooping cough cases are on the rise in Texas, and health officials in Comal County are trying to stem an outbreak in which five children have recently come down with the disease and five others may have it. "We've taken a real aggressive stance to try to keep it from getting out of control," said Comal County health nurse Karon Preiss. She said information has been sent home with schoolchildren, and doctors have been asked to be on the lookout for symptoms. Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is caused by bacteria and is usually mild in older children and adults. However, it can cause serious problems for babies. Since January 2001, nine children in Texas have died of the disease. A total of 615 cases were reported in Texas that year, the most since 1968. This year, 766 cases already have been reported. The number of reported cases is unusually high, according to David Bastis, a program director in the immunization division of the Texas Department of Health. "Usually we see no deaths or one death," he said. Preiss urged parents to watch for symptoms in their children. Pertussis begins like a cold, with a runny nose, sneezing, mild fever and cough that slowly gets worse, although the fever often disappears. The coughing tends to be worst at night, and cough medicines usually do not help. It is treatable with antibiotics. The bacteria live in the nose, mouth and throat and are sprayed into the air when an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks. People nearby can inhale the bacteria and become infected. Children should be vaccinated before age 7, but the vaccine is not 100 percent effective in preventing the disease.
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