Whooping Cough Ongoing Problem Eleven More Cases Reported In North Idaho This Month

Whooping cough never disappeared from North Idaho after last spring’s outbreak.

So far this month, Panhandle Health District has received 11 reports of the disease, which officially is known as pertussis.

Pertussis often starts with normal cold symptoms but progresses to a cough that can persist for weeks.

Since the outbreak which killed a Post Falls infant and sickened more than 100 people, the health district typically has learned of five or six cases each month, said Jeanne Bock, director of family and community health.

“It’s an ongoing process of identifying pertussis that’s endemic in our community,” she said.

Children suffer about half of the recent cases. One child attended Discovery Daycare in Coeur d’Alene part time; another attended Lakeland Learning Center part time, and two were in Head Start in Coeur d’Alene. One is a Bryan Elementary School student.

Health officials are contacting people who may have been exposed to pertussis bacteria.

Spokane County hasn’t had a reported case of pertussis since October, county epidemiologist Paul Stepak said. However, because of the proximity of the two communities, “we’re watching it very closely,” he said.

A special pertussis screening clinic at Panhandle Health District was busy Monday morning, as was an afternoon immunization clinic, Bock said.

The health district is recommending an accelerated schedule of immunizations. Usually, infants get their first vaccine at 8 weeks of age. Health officials are advising that immunizations start at 6 weeks.

Children should receive three doses of the vaccine by seven months and four doses by 19 months, according to state health guidelines.

Immunizations don’t necessarily prevent whooping cough. The vaccine is only 70 percent to 90 percent effective, and there’s no vaccine for people older than 7 years. However, children who have been vaccinated don’t get as sick as unvaccinated children do, health officials say.

Kootenai County may be seeing an increase in pertussis cases because of better reporting and the cold weather, Bock said.

But immunizations are up. A recent survey of children enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children program showed 88 percent were up-to-date on their shots.

“That’s the best we’ve done,” Bock said.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ABOUT PERTUSSIS Pertussis often starts with normal cold symptoms but progresses to a cough that can persist for weeks.