The current 4,223 confirmed, probable and suspect cases of whooping cough (pertussis) reported in California up the September 21, 2010 is the highest since 1955, when there were 4,949 cases. With over three months to go till the end of the year, there is a good chance a new record will be broken. For this year so far, the state has a whooping cough rate of 10.79 cases per 100,000 people, says the California Department of Public Health.

Of the 4,223 cases, 4,193 had whooping cough onset in 2010. Over the last week there have been 206 new reported cases, of which 60% were confirmed, 20% probable and 20% were suspect; there were 183 reported cases the week before.

The current pertussis incidence is the highest since 1962, when there were 10.9 cases per 100,000 people. The last whooping cough peak occurred in 2005, with 3,182 cases in the whole year.

202 patients have been hospitalized, of which 119 were infants aged 3 months or less, 141 were aged up to 6 months – 77% of them were Hispanic. (In the USA the term “Hispanic” tends to refer to people either from Latin America or with Latin American ancestry and not including Spain, while in the UK it means people from Spanish speaking countries, including Spain but not including Brazil)

The California Department of Public Health reports that:

  • Nine people have died so far from whooping cough
  • 89% of the fatalities were Hispanic infants
  • Eight of those who died were aged 2 months or less when disease symptoms started. None of them had been vaccinated
  • One death was a baby born 28 weeks premature who at the age of two months had received the first DTaP dose just 15 days before symptoms started.
  • Most cases of whooping cough in infants in 2010 have affected babies aged three months or less.

195 in every 100,000 babies aged six months or less have become infected in California this year, 34 in 100,000 7 to 9 year-olds, and 25 per 100,000 10 to 18 year-olds.

Most cases of adolescent infections occur in children aged 10 to 11 years.

10.3 in every 100,000 Caucasians (whites) of all ages have become infected this year.

239.3 in every 100,000 Hispanic infants aged up to six months have become infected (the highest age-specific group).

Pertussis cases reported to CDPH from January 1 through September 21 by local health jurisdiction – California, 2010:

    CALIFORNIA STATE – cases 4223, rate 10.79

    Alameda – cases 195, rate 13.60
    City Of Berkeley* – cases 9, rate 8.40
    Alpine – cases 0, rate 0.00
    Amador – cases 3, rate 7.53
    Butte – cases 17, rate 7.49
    Calaveras – cases 7, rato 14.83
    Colusa – cases 9, rate 38.62
    Contra Costa – cases 109, rate 10.24
    Del Norte – cases 16, rate 52.23
    El Dorado – cases 40, rate 21.47
    Fresno – cases 374, rate 38.77
    Glenn – cases 0, rate 0.00
    Humboldt – cases 16, rate 11.94
    Imperial – cases 8, rate 4.33
    Inyo – cases 2, rate 10.48
    Kern – cases 244, rate 28.60
    Kings – cases 21, rate 13.04
    Lake – cases 2, rate 3.00
    Lassen – cases 0, rate 0.00
    Los Angeles – cases 95, rate 0.97
    City Of Long Beach* – cases 47, rate 9.54
    City Of Pasadena* – cases 11 7.32
    Madera – cases 103, rate 65.09
    Marin – cases 296, rate 116.76
    Mariposa – cases 10, rate 52.81
    Mendocino – cases 16, rate 17.30
    Merced – cases 91, rate 33.99
    Modoc – cases 0, rate 0.00
    Mono – cases 5, rate 34.27
    Monterey – cases 19, rate 4.41
    Napa – cases 18, rate 12.78
    Nevada – cases 15, rate 14.73
    Orange – cases 297, rate 9.31
    Placer – cases 45, rate 13.21
    Plumas – cases 2, rate 9.20
    Riverside – cases 196, rate 9.00
    Sacramento – cases 77, rate 5.36
    San Benito – cases 3, rate 4.80
    San Bernardino – cases 38, rate 1.78
    San Diego – cases 418, rate 13.19
    San Francisco – cases 74, rate 9.09
    San Joaquin – cases 51, rate 7.04
    San Luis Obispo – cases 347, rate 129.50
    San Mateo – cases 98, rate 13.35
    Santa Barbara – cases 45, rate 10.45
    Santa Clara – cases 210, rate 11.51
    Santa Cruz – cases 57, rate 21.37
    Shasta – cases 9, rate 4.76
    Sierra – cases 0, rate 0.00
    Siskiyou – cases 7, rate 14.94
    Solano – cases 11, rate 2.52
    Sonoma – cases 195, rate 39.68
    Stanislaus – cases 106, rate 19.29
    Sutter – cases 4, rate 4.00
    Tehama – cases 1, rate 1.55
    Trinity – cases 0, rate 0.00
    Tulare – cases 82, rate 17.96
    Tuolumne – cases 9, rate 15.40
    Ventura – cases 20, rate 2.36
    Yolo – cases 19, rate 9.37
    Yuba – cases 4, rate 5.10
    *City health jurisdictions not included in county total

Whooping cough, or pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis, a type of bacteria. The infected individual usually has an uncontrollable and violent cough, and sometimes problems breathing (caused by the cough).

After several coughing episodes the patient may gasp for air, making a whooping sound, as they try to regain their breath. Pertussis coughing episodes (fits) can go on for 10 weeks, and even longer; it is nicknamed the 100 day cough.

Whooping cough complications are more likely to affect babies and small children; infants are especially susceptible to life-threatening complications.

The best way to protect a child, or anybody from pertussis and its possible complications is to have the shot (vaccination). Vaccines exist for children, teenagers and adults. DTaP is the childhood vaccine, and TDaP is the adult/adolescent booster vaccine.

It is estimated that about 30 to 50 million people every year get whooping cough, of which approximately 300,000 die globally.

There has been a slow but steady increase in the number of reported pertussis cases in the USA, especially among teenagers and babies aged up to six months.

Over half of all infected babies up to the age of 1 year have to be admitted to hospital.

Sources: CDC, California Department of Public Health. Medilexicon’s medical dictionary

Written by Christian Nordqvist