By Desiree Taylor
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, appears to be on the rise in New Jersey. There have been 100 confirmed cases of the contagious bacterial disease so far this year, which is a slight increase over last year according to state health officials. Particularly hard hit is Hunterdon County. Between September 2010 and May 2011, there were eight cases. During the same time period for 2011 to 2012, there have been 50 reported cases.
Seventy-two percent of these cases have appeared in the townships of Alexandria, Clinton and Raritan. Another 15 cases remain under investigation. The people infected range from age 4 to the mid 60s. County health officials say no one has been hospitalized. But they have been advising schools, day care providers and primary care providers to be on the lookout for signs of pertussis.
Pertussis affects the respiratory or breathing system. It’s rarely fatal. But nationwide in 2010, there were 25 infant deaths due to pertussis. “It can be serious for anyone but especially the very young, people with weak immune systems and the the very old,” said Dr. Arturo Brito, New Jersey’s Deputy Commissioner of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Brito says the best protection against pertussis is to get vaccinated. It’s among a series of vaccinations children are required to get in New Jersey. And students entering sixth grade in New Jersey are also required to get booster shots. But there are exemptions. Dr. Brito admits vaccinations aren’t 100 percent effective but he believes they’re the best protection available to the public.
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