United States: The state Department of Health said Minnesota has reported the most whooping cough cases in more than 10 years.
More about the news
Michigan healthcare facilities, medical labs, schools, and childcare centers reported 2,324 cases of whooping cough or pertussis last Wednesday, largely in the Twin Cities metro.
That’s more than triple the total reported at this time of year in 2012, which was 4,144.
What more are the experts stating?
Health officials said it was expected because the disease peaks every three to five years.
The rates of whooping cough are going up across the nation, indicating the epidemiological rates prior to the widespread reduction of numerous transmissible diseases due to the COVID-19 crisis.
This year in Minnesota, those who have contracted whooping cough have a median age of 14 years, startribune.com reported.
The Health Department says that its effectiveness – a shot given to children aged 11 years and 12 as a routine and is likely to wear off after one or two years.
Of those, 77 infants had whooping cough, and 34 patients had to be hospitalized.
Disease infection looks like
The first few weeks of whooping cough might seem like a common cold and then develop into a severe cough that lasts for weeks.
The patients are infectious in the first 21 days of having a cough or if they are on antibiotic therapy and have not had a fever for five days.
According to the Health Department, vaccination is very important in eliminating and controlling whooping cough.
Some leaders have had heightened risks as immunizations have reduced modestly in the past years among Minnesota kindergartners entering school, startribune.com reported.
The health officials recommend pregnant women get the vaccine and that children get their vaccinations on schedule.
The whooping cough vaccine is administered in a vaccine tri combo that also contains tetanus and diphtheria. Immunization procedures recommend that adults should take a booster dose after every 10 years.