Louisiana on track for record whooping cough cases
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Whooping cough is spreading faster in Louisiana than it has in more than a decade, and health officials warn that this year could set a record for cases.
Why it matters: Adults need to take precautions to keep infants safe, doctors say, because they are most at risk for complications from the illness.
The big picture: Louisiana has had 170 cases reported as of May 14, surpassing the number for the entire year of 2024, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
- The current record of 214 cases was set in 2013.
Threat level: Two babies have died in Louisiana since September, marking the state's first deaths from whooping cough, or pertussis, since 2018, LDH says.
- Since September, 42 people have been hospitalized, with about 70% of them younger than 12 months.
- So far this year, the pertussis case rate for infants in Louisiana is at least seven times higher than all other age groups, LDH says.
- Cases are increasing nationally as well. Health officials attribute some of the rise in cases to declining vaccination rates and waning immunity.
What he's saying: "It is a horrible disease," says Joshua Sharfstein, a pediatrician and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Babies really do struggle to catch their breath, and sometimes they stop breathing altogether and it's terrifying to watch."
- When babies are being hospitalized with whooping cough, he said it's an indicator that more adolescents and adults also have it but probably haven't been diagnosed.
- The babies usually get exposed because someone else in the household is coughing, he said.
How it works: Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.
- It spreads through coughing, sneezing and close contact, LDH says.
- Symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, intense coughing fits and post-coughing vomiting for two to three weeks. Severe cases can hinder breathing and last for months.
Zoom in: Two vaccines (Tdap and DTaP) prevent serious complications, LDH says, and are available for children and adults.
- But protection fades over time. LDH recommends that adults get a booster shot every 10 years.
- Medical providers can do a nasal swab test to check if you have whooping cough.
- Antibiotics treat the symptoms and the spread if given early, LDH says.
What to do for teens and adults: If you have a cough and are around babies, seek medical attention earlier than you would if you aren't around babies, Sharfstein encourages.
- Tell the doctor you live with or interact with an infant regularly, because the doctor may think differently about your cough, he said.
- Check your vaccine records, and get a booster if needed, he advised.
For babies: "I would say a cough that doesn't look right to the parents always needs to be checked out by the doctor," Sharfstein said, especially if it is a persistent cough that's interfering with a child's ability to do normal things.
- He encourages parents to create a cocoon around infants by making sure everyone is vaccinated and gets tested quickly if they have a cough.