WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Oregon Health Authority or OHA has issued a public warning about the rise in cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough.
'We're really seeing a rapid increase in cases,' said Dr. Paul Cieslak, OHA's Medical Director for Communicable Diseases.
'It's often the cough that doesn't go away,' he added. 'You thought you had a cold; your cough usually lasts a couple weeks when you have a cold and this one's been going on for a month.'
The OHA stated that a sharp increase in cases were noticed across nine counties including Lane County with 64 cases, Multnomah with 41 cases, Clackamas with 33 cases, Deschutes with 15 cases, Washington with 13 cases, and Jefferson with 8 cases.
Overall, 178 whooping cases were reported to Oregon's Public Health Division as of May 29, which is 770 percent higher than the cases reported during the same time last year.
'Our concern is with how quickly we jumped to such a high number of pertussis cases, which tell us that the disease is doing what it does best: spreading fast and taking a greater toll on undervaccinated persons,' noted Cieslak.
According to the OHA data, 92 of the total cases are school-aged children and only half of them have been vaccinated against pertussis.
Cieslak added, 'They're the ones that tend to get hospitalized. We've seen five deaths from Pertussis, also known as Whooping Cough, in Oregon over the past 20 years. But a lot more infants have been hospitalized with it.'
The health officials are advising people to get vaccinated against pertussis, especially children should receive DTaP vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis at 2, 4, 6 and 15 to 18 months, and again at age 4 to kindergarten age.
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