Credit CDC
# 6749
Whooping cough has been in the news (and in this blog) a lot this week (see Safety Of Tdap Vaccine In Older Patients and Waning Pertussis Vaccine Effectiveness Over Time), and with an announcement overnight from the HPA, today I go for the hat trick.
Last month (see The UK’s Whooping Cough Outbreak) we looked at the rising pertussis numbers in the UK, and the announcement that that pregnant women would be offered the Pertussis vaccine in order to protect their newborns, who cannot be vaccinated until they are 2 – 4 months of age.
The latest announcement from the HPA indicates that during the month of October more than 1,600 additional cases of Whooping cough were reported in England and Wales, resulting in 3 infant deaths. This brings the death toll in 2012 to 13.
As you can see by the chart below, Pertussis in 2012 is running roughly 10 times the rate seen in recent years.
The reasons behind this latest spike in Pertussis cases are complex, and not completely understood, but some factors may include:
- lower vaccination uptakes
- the move away from whole cell pertussis vaccines to safer – but less broadly protective - acellular vaccines in the 1990s
- evolutionary changes in the Bordetella pertussis bacteria.
Here are some excerpts from the HPA’s press release:
Whooping cough cases continue to increase
30 November 2012
Figures published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) today reveal 1,614 cases of whooping cough were reported in England and Wales in October 2012, bringing the total number of cases so far this year to 7,728*.
The total number of cases so far in 2012 (up to end of October) is nearly ten times higher than for the same period in 2008, the last ‘peak’ year before this current outbreak, when 797 cases were reported. There have been three deaths in infants with laboratory confirmed whooping cough reported in October bringing the total number of deaths in this age group so far this year to 13.
At the end of September, the Department of Health announced that pregnant women would be offered whooping cough vaccination to protect their newborn babies, who do not usually start their vaccinations against whooping cough until they are two months of age. The aim of the vaccination programme is to help to boost the short term immunity passed on by women to their babies while they are still in the womb.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, consultant epidemiologist for immunisation at the HPA, said: “The October figures show a continuing rise in the overall number of whooping cough cases. While there has been a decline in the number of infant cases it’s important to emphasise that it’s too early to see any impact from the pregnancy vaccination programme. Working with the Department of Health we are continuing to carefully monitor whooping cough activity to evaluate the success of the programme.
“We strongly recommend all pregnant women take up the offer of vaccination. Parents should also ensure their children are vaccinated against whooping cough on time, even babies of women who’ve had the vaccine in pregnancy – this is to continue their baby’s protection through childhood. Parents should also be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough – which include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic “whoop” sound in young children but as a prolonged cough in older children or adults. It is also advisable to keep babies away from older siblings or adults who have the infection.”
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, affects all ages. Young infants are at highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough as babies do not complete vaccination until they are around four months old. In older children and adults whooping cough can be an unpleasant illness but it does not usually lead to serious complications. Whooping cough is a highly infectious bacterial disease which spreads when a person with the infection coughs and sheds the bacteria which is then inhaled by another person.
For more information, the CDC maintains an extensive Whooping Cough website, including audio files designed to help you identify the often distinctive `whooping’ sound made by those infected.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.
Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breathes which result in a "whooping" sound. Pertussis most commonly affects infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies less than 1 year of age.
