Officials Urge Pertussis Vigilance as Babylon Town Case Confirmed

On the heels of the original pertussis warning the Suffolk County Department of Health Services issued last week, one case has appeared in the Town of Babylon.

This case in brings the of pertussis – the highly contagious bacterial respiratory illness also known as whooping cough – in Suffolk County to 40.

“Due to privacy laws, we’re not allowed to say exactly where in the town the case is,” SCDHS spokesperson Grace Kelly-McGovern told Patch.

However, she did say it was most likely a child, and the appropriate course of antibiotics has been given to him/her.

“Treatment with appropriate antibiotics, such as Zithromax, will shorten the time a person can spread pertussis to five days after the beginning of treatment,” said Dr. Kathy Thompson, director of communicable diseases for Suffolk County in a SCDHS release about the outbreak.

There are also –which originally prompted a warning from the SCDHS last week–plus .

After the ones in Smithtown cropped up last week, the SCDHS provided camp directors with letters containing information about pertussis intended for distribution to parents and camp staff.

This week the SCDHS issued an updated warning.

The outbreak with the confirmation from SCDHS Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken that were confirmed as having pertussis.

Suffolk health officials alerted area pediatricians of the outbreak and advised school officials to implement appropriate infection control measures.

The number of cases soon increased, since pertussis is easily spread person to person through droplets, Kelly-McGovern said.

According to the SCDHS: “It’s infectious for 21 days from the start of cough or until an individual has been on five full days of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Once a susceptible individual is exposed, it may take up to 21 days for symptoms to develop.”

Symptoms

Health officials said pertussis initially resembles an ordinary cold, but might eventually turn more serious, especially in infants, and causes an uncontrollable, violent cough lasting several weeks or months.

“When you or your child develops a cold that includes a prolonged or severe cough, it may be pertussis. The best way to know is to contact your doctor,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Kelly-McGovern said the number of pertussis cases in such a short time prompted the SCDHS to alert the public, but that cases of it in Suffolk County aren’t unusual. Last year there were 54 cases recorded; in 2009, 75 cases.

Prevention

Health officials have encouraged parents to confirm their children’s are up to date. Caretakers of children and babies have also been encouraged to get vaccinated.

Immunization authorities have recommended the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis) vaccine be given at two, four, six and 15 to 18 months of age and between four and six years of age.

The Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is especially recommended for adults who previously received only the Td (tetanus, diphtheria) immunization.

While the vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective, it can mitigate the course of the illness, SCDHS health officials assured.

Parents and physicians who’ve questions about pertussis may contact the SCDHS’ Division of Public Health at 631-853-3055.

Editor's Note: The SCDHS issued a new warning about pertussis (whooping cough) in October 2011. Read about it here.