For Immediate Release

December 23, 2008

Contact:  Vicki L. Duey, Executive Director, Four Corners Health Department, 2101 N Nebraska Ave., York, NE   Phone (402) 362-2621

Pertussis Cases Being Reported

Two cases of pertussis have been reported to Four Corners District Health Department in the past 10 days.

Pertussis (also called whooping cough) is spread when infected people cough or sneeze, spreading droplets that contain the Bordetella pertussis bacteria.   Symptoms of whooping cough usually start with cold-like symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, fever and mild cough between 6 – 21 days after they have been exposed to the pertussis bacteria.  Individuals are most contagious from the beginning of cold-like symptoms until three weeks after coughing episodes begin.   Anyone, especially infants and young children, who is not immunized, is at higher risk for severe whooping cough.

“Classic coughs associated with pertussis can continue for weeks or months and typically occur as sudden, violent coughing episodes, sometimes followed by vomiting,” said Vicki Duey, Executive Director of the Four Corners District Health Department. “A person with Pertussis can spread the disease to others from the beginning of the cold like symptoms until three weeks after the cough begins unless antibiotic therapy is started.”

Anyone who has come into close contact with an infected person should contact their physician to see if they should receive antibiotics to prevent the spread of the disease.    An infected person should stay home from day care, school, or work for five days after beginning antibiotic therapy. 

According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, as of December 21, 2008, there have been 278 diagnosed cases of pertussis reported across Nebraska since the beginning of 2008.   For more information about pertussis, please visit Four Corners’ website at www.fourcorners.ne.gov or call 402-362-2621 (toll free 1-877-337-3573).