Florence County pertussis count continues to rise

Pertussis has increased to 17 laboratory confirmed cases for 2018 in Florence County. The Health Department, following CDC guidelines, continues to contact each case to assure household contacts are treated and anyone symptomatic (coughing) is tested. Confirmed cases are isolated for five days while taking antibiotic treatment and may not participate in school or work.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease, caused by the bacterium bordetella pertussis.

Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After cough fits, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which result in a whooping sound. Pertussis can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious, even deadly, for babies less than a year old, and the CDC recommends that the best way to protect against pertussis is by getting vaccinated.

For the full article, see this week’s edition of The Florence Mining News.